Eureka Eight Chapters 1 to 25
by EurekasRenton
Summary: Eureka Eight is one of the longest and most complex Eureka SeveN fanfics so far: Eureka and Renton have returned to Earth, but a secretive organization wishes to to use Eureka to pilot an LFO as part of Operation Revelation...


Eureka Eight: Dirge of Darkness

By EurekasRenton (Akai)

Chapter One: Wish Upon a Star

One Year after the Second Summer of Love…

There they sat…just sitting idly staring at their meal. It was a meal that Maurice hadn't eaten too often. He didn't really understand why Grandpa chose to treat them to such a lavish and exquisite meal at the restaurant, but he guessed the occasion was somewhat special. The meal consisted of eggs, meat, sauce, shrimp, and some other goods. It smelled like a meal fit for a king. The aroma filled Maurice's nostrils like smoke fills a chimney.

"_Itadakimasu_!" said Linck as he raised his spoon and dug in merrily.

"Hey, wash your hands first!" complained Maeter, but of course, Linck didn't listen.

"It's fine!" he protested.

"No, it's bad manners!" Maeter told him.

"Whatever," Linck said ignorantly.

Maurice just sat there staring at his food as if he were going to savor the image in his mind, barely listening to his younger siblings quarrel again. Grandpa also sat motionless, focusing on something he was reading in his hands.

"C'mon Linck," said Maeter.

"Aw…" Linck complained.

There was something in Grandpa's eyes that Maurice noticed. It was a sad look, a look of deep emotion, depression. Maurice had seen it before when Grandpa looked at pictures of Renton or Mama. Maurice felt himself feel quite sad. He still didn't know what it was.

"Grandpa," he asked softly.

"Hmm?" answered the old man, turning his gaze away from his reading material.

"Aren't you going to eat? It'll get cold," he explained calmly.

Maurice would eat if Grandpa ate, but he wasn't feeling too hungry. Maeter and Linck were already digging away like wild animals.

"Oh, right you are," said Grandpa, grinning a bit. "I'd better hurry up and eat."

Grandpa folded the paper and carefully put it in his jacket. Maurice, Maeter and Linck had seen Grandpa a few times, but this was their first time coming to his home. Maurice would do anything to know what was wrong.

"Was it an inconvenience…" Maurice asked with the sad feeling still lingering inside him, "…for us to come here?"

Maurice sat there with the note in his hand, the note that Renton had given him, but he hadn't shown it to Grandpa yet.

"Let's have a Big Burger," Grandpa told him.

Maurice looked up in astonishment. Grandpa was trying to do something nice for them, but he didn't know why he was acting so.

"That's the traditional act of bonding in the Thurston family," he told him with a serious, but calm look upon him. "All right, now let's eat!"

Maurice felt better. Grandpa did accept them, so they weren't too much of a trouble. Grandpa smiled.

"If we don't hurry, we'll miss the moon."

Maurice smiled. He loved going out and seeing the beautiful moon every night. He smiled, but then felt tears rush into his eyes as he nodded. What was this feeling? It was joy, joy that Grandpa wanted to spend time with them.

After dinner, they walked along the road to the park. Grandpa talked to them more then he normally did.

"All of my family has left this town," he told them as they strode along under the golden sunlight.

The sun was setting and they were making their way to the park.

"But Renton's the only one to have ever some back," he said calmly. "That I now have these wonderful great-grandchildren, that's proof above all."

Maurice smiled as he held his Grandpa's hand. He felt a lot better because he knew he was bonding with Renton's grandfather.

"Grandpa!" called Maeter. "The tram's coming!"

"Oh, we'd best hurry!" Grandpa said happily.

The grey tram was visible in the distance. They rushed toward the tram station and got aboard. The trip to the park was a little long, but it was well worth it. When they arrived at the station in the park, the three children rushed toward the gate at the edge of the cliff. Maurice, being the fastest, got there first and waited for the others.

"W-wait up!" called Grandpa who was slowly coming from behind them. "Don't make the elderly run so hard."

Grandpa was exhausted, but he had a smile on his face. He seemed to enjoy the moment. They all gazed up at the sky and looked at the wonder before them. Maurice had always looked at the moon every night, but not from such a place as the park dedicated to Renton.

The moon looked so close. It was as if you could reach out and touch it. There was a stream of rainbow light sparkling in the night sky and the moon glowed a luminous blue color. It seemed mystical. Everyone marveled at the magnificent moon with the gigantic heart carved onto it and the words, "Renton" and "Eureka" engraved within. Maurice still wondered how it all happened.

Maeter clasp her hands together and closed her eyes as if she were praying. Maurice and Linck looked at her curiously.

"Nee-chan, what're you doing?" asked Linck.

"I'm wishing upon a star," she answered simply, "So that Mama and Renton will hurry up and come home."

"Me too!" Linck told her as he copied her, clasping his hands together and wishing.

"Me too!" said Maurice.

Maurice couldn't see him, but he knew that Grandpa was folding his hands and wishing as they were. Maurice believed that wishes were powerful things and he began to feel hope spark inside him.

"Hurry back with that nice young lady, Renton," said Grandpa in a quiet voice. "You're kids are waiting."

Maurice knew…with all his heart…that Mama and Renton were out there waiting to return…

It had been a long night and Maurice felt extremely drowsy. They finally arrived tat the Thurston residence and Maurice stared at it with wonder. Linck had been the most tired and he was carried by Grandpa while he slept.

"This is where you and Renton lived?" Maurice asked.

"Yes," answered Grandpa calmly, "this is where we met your mama. This is where she crashed and changed our lives forever…"

"But didn't it blow up?" asked Maeter curiously, but just as drowsy as Maurice.

"Yes, but I had it rebuilt," Grandpa told her. "Many people offered me to live with them in their nice homes, but I chose to live where I had always lived…with Renton and Diane…in this special place. It's just the way it was when Renton used to live here."

Maurice starred at the place. It looked a little old and the sign with _Thurston_ written on it looked like it had just been painted. There was a gigantic hanger and a small garage building in the fenced area. Grandpa led them to the garage building where they found a ladder leading to an upstairs area.

"This was once Renton's room," he told them.

There was that look again…that sad look. The look that made Maurice feel awkward.

"Something wrong, Grandpa?" Maurice asked.

"No…it's nothing," the old man said. "Let's go on up and get you in bed."

After quite some trouble, they got Linck up and into the room without waking him. Though he did stir a bit which caused him to kick Maurice in the face. Maurice rubbed his cheek as he sat on the bed.

The room was quite small, but it was cozy. There were a few pictures of Renton on the wall and a few _ray=out _magazines. There wasn't much except for a nightstand, set of drawers, and a bunk bed, but that was all that was needed.

"What's all this?" Maurice said, indicating to the burnt and dirty pictures and posters on the wall.

"Just a few things I salvaged from the remains of Renton's room," Grandpa said.

Grandpa set Linck on the bed. Maurice and Maeter hugged Grandpa, said goodnight, and crawled into bed. Maurice lied on the top bunk while Maeter and Linck were on the bottom. Maurice couldn't sleep. He stared at the blank ceiling as time pasted. Nothing. He just couldn't get his mind to sleep. He felt so tired, yet he just couldn't rest. What was it?

"Maeter," he said, "Maeter, you still awake."

There was no answer. Maurice sighed and closed his eyes again.

"Huh?" said a very drowsy voice from below.

"Maeter?"

"Uh huh…"

"Can you sleep?"

"Trying…"

"Mind if I talk?"

"Nuh uh…"

"Okay…I've been thinking…When do you think Mama and Renton will come home?"

"Uh…dunno…"

"It might be a long time….maybe they will never come…"

"Don't say that."

"Well we don't know where they are…"

"I know they are out there watching over us…"

"…Go to sleep now…"

"Okay."

Maurice knew that his sister was right. He shouldn't think such negative thoughts. Renton and Mama would come home. They had to. It would make Grandpa happier…It would make all of them happier. Maurice lay awake, but then finally, he felt his eyelids grow heavy and he went into a deep sleep, dreaming about where Renton and Mama were…

Meanwhile at the D.S. Corp HQ

Arner sat there starring at the moon through the gigantic glass window on the ceiling. The moon's luminous beauty seemed to sooth his disgruntled mind. The lights were off and the blue moonlight flooded his office like water. He tried to rest in his chair when he heard the bell ring behind him.

"Who is it?" he asked calmly.

"It's me, sir," answered Dr. Hyde's voice.

"Come in."

The door opened and the doctor walked in wearing his long white coat and thick glasses as he always did.

"Sir I have come to report on our project," he said.

"And what is our operation's status? Please tell me as briefly as possible."

"The project is complete and ready for commencement. All we need is the 'Key'."

"Then, why don't you fetch the 'Key'."

"Excuse me sir, but its whereabouts still lay unknown after the Second Summer of Love."

"I will handle the finding of the Key. Do not worry. This operation will not fail. I have devoted my life, work, and money to this and I will see to it that none of that goes to waste."

"But, Sir-"

"I said I will handle it!"

"Yes, sir…"

"Now leave me."

Dr. Hyde left the room mumbling to himself. Arner sat there in his chair in deep thought for a moment then turned himself around.

"Steller," he said.

"Yes, Sir?" answered a voice from the darkness.

"You know of the Key, don't you?"

"Of course…"

"Bring her to me."

"You know what Hyde said, Sir…"

"I know…she will come…when she returns, find her and bring her to me…"

"Are you sure, sir?"

"Yes, of course I'm sure. Now go and wait for her. When she arrives, she will most likely be found with the ones she loves the most."

"What of them?"

"If they cause a dilemma, do whatever it takes to get her."

Steller started walked forward from the shadows. He was already set for whatever missions Arner gave him. He was completely covered in black stealth attire and he wore a black gasmask over his face, concealing his entire head. Arner always wondered why Steller was so secretive and mysterious, but he was Arner's top assassin and he didn't need to get him angry. The assassin began to walk to the door when Arner stopped him as the door opened.

"One more thing," Arner informed him.

Steller didn't turn around, but Arner knew he was listening carefully.

"When I say 'do whatever it takes' that _does not _include harming her. I want her unscathed and healthy when you retrieve her. I know how much you wish for vengeance, but this is not the time. She is important to this operation so we want her in perfect condition. Understood?"

"Of course, sir…"

Arner could see Steller clench his fist tightly. Then he slowly left the room and disappeared. Arner sighed and turned back around to look at the moon. He reached for the small table next to him and picked up the possession on it. The compac drive stilled glowed blood red in his hands, but the name "Eureka" was still visible within it.

"Eureka…" said Arner, "This will not fail…"

Chapter Two: In the Morning

Holland lay in bed. He wasn't really asleep, but he wasn't quite awake either. He had received several nudges from Talho, but he answered them with "It's a weekend." He lay in bed for a while then finally decided to rise. It was a normal Saturday morning on the Gekko-go. Holland rose from the bed and went over to the crib next to the bed before he left the room. Little Charles lay soundly asleep. He smiled as he stared at the infant then he went to obtain breakfast in his boxers.

Holland walked down the hall and into the lounge room. Most of Gekkostate was present in the room, some eating, some looking already full.

"Good morning, Leader," said Matthieu.

Holland replied with a yawn. It was hard to believe that Gekkostate was still together. Everyone was still aboard the ship except for the kids who were currently with Axel, Eureka, Renton, and Stoner who had gone to study more photography. _ray=out_ was still published by an actual ref company and gaining more popularity. Even though there was nothing about the corruption of the government anymore, _ray=out_ was still a popular ref magazine.

Holland went into the kitchen to find some breakfast. He searched for what he wanted, but found nothing.

"What happened to all the food?" he asked.

"Out," answered Matthieu.

"Cereal?"

"Out."

"Sausages?"

"Out."

"Pancakes?"

"Out."

"Eggs?"

"Hmmm…..uh….oh I had the last one!"

"So…"

"Out."

"Don't we have anything?" asked Holland. Sometimes living on the Gekko-Go was frustrating. Matthieu thought for a moment.

"I think we have some waffles in the fridge…" he answered.

"We have to do a food run again?" Holland asked with frustration.

"We have money now," Mathieu said.

"We have money and we still can't supply ourselves…" Holland groaned.

"Sorry, leader, maybe you'll have to go without breakfast," Mathieu said indifferently.

"Life is still crap…" Holland said.

Holland didn't know why he was having a bad morning, but he was really grouchy in the mornings. He then headed toward the bridge.

"Morning, Captain!" greeted Moondoggie.

"I do recall that captains are to wake up early for duty…" said Ken-Goh.

"It's a weekend…" Holland said.

"And when will you put some clothes on?" Ken-Goh added.

"A captain can do what he wants," Holland said.

"Yes, but he could at least give his crew the courtesy of taking a shower once in a while," Ken-Goh continued.

"I will when I can," Holland said.

"You're as stubborn as ever…" Ken-Goh sighed. "I just hope the little one is more like his mother."

Ken-Goh seemed to give more small lectures to Holland more often. Either Ken-Goh was expecting a change due to Holland's fatherhood or Talho had got him into it.

After an hour sitting in his chair with the same mundane routine, Holland took a break and walked back to the lounge. He ran into Talho on the way. She was carrying Charles in her arms.

"Daddy is finally up," Talho said in tone as if she were a little disappointed in Holland.

Holland brushed Charles' forehead and gave Talho a kiss.

"Another boring day," he said.

"Don't worry," Talho said as she looked away. "Something should happen today."

"What's wrong?" Holland asked.

"Nothing," Talho said as she looked back at Holland. "I was just thinking about Renton and Eureka…I hope everything is going well."

"I'm sure they're doing fine," Holland said.

_I know you're doing fine, Renton_, Holland thought, _If you return, I just don't want any problems…_

Meanwhile: Somewhere Near Bellforest

_Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!_

"Uh…" groaned Dominic.

He reached out his arm and looked for the off button on the alarm clock. He pressed it and tried to rest. The alarm went off again.

_Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!_

Dominic turned off the clock and crawled out of his sleeping bag. He turned to see Anemone still grumbling in her sleep next to him.

"Anemone," he called softly.

"Huh?"

"Time to wake up," he told her.

"Not now….not now…"

He smiled and kissed her on the forehead.

"C'mon."

She finally rose and they both got dressed. Dominic stepped outside the tent to be greeted by the cold morning air. The sun shone bright in the east and everything was peaceful. They had been camping in the field overnight. Anemone wanted to do something special, to get away from all reality and spend a night out in Mother Nature. They had spent most of the night talking under the moonlight. Dominic and Anemone loved to look at the moon. It brought back old memories.

Dominic stretched his arms and yawned. Anemone stepped out of the tent and sniffed the morning air.

"Had a good sleep?" she asked.

"Yeah…" he answered smiling.

There was something about her in the morning that made her look beautiful. Her pink hair flowed with the gentle breeze and she smiled delightfully at him. He walked up to her and wrapped his arms around her. Just as he kissed her, there was a ringing sound from the tent.

"What's that?" she asked.

"My phone," Dominic answered.

He went into the tent and pulled the phone out from inside his bag.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Lt. Dominic," answered a voice he knew to belong to Pvt. Seizo.

"Seizo, what is it? I'm busy right now."

"I have news."

"Good or bad."

"Both."

"Go on…"

"First, Redd isn't our captain anymore."

"What? Why?"

"Well, I'll talk about that when you get here."

"What do you mean 'here'? I can't go right now. I'm busy."

He looked at Anemone who was sitting in the grass, staring out across the landscape.

"You have to get here now. Those are orders."

"What's the good news?"

"Since Redd left, you've been promoted."

"Promoted?"

"Yes, see you soon…Captain."

Seizo hung up. Dominic stood there staring and put the phone in his pocket slowly. He walked over to Anemone and sat next to her.

"Who was it?" she asked.

"Seizo," he told her calmly.

"I thought your friends at work weren't going to call you."

"Yeah, well, I guess it was somewhat important."

"Why?"

"I…I've been promoted."

"Promoted?!"

"Yes, to captain."

Anemone hugged Dominic tightly and kissed him on the cheek.

"See, I knew something good was going to happen today!"

"Yeah…"

"I've only been lieutenant of the special forces team for a few months. I didn't think I'd get promoted so fast."

"What happened to your old captain, what's his name, Orange?"

"Redd…"

"Whatever. What happened to him? Fired? Quite?"

"I don't know."

Dominic had a strange feeling. Captain Redd wasn't very old, he had no known illnesses and he would never have given up his job as captain of the third SOF squad. Redd would have rather died, and Dominic was wondering if that was just what he did. Redd wouldn't have gone on a mission without Dominic, but something was going on and he didn't really like it.

"I have to go," he told her Anemone.

"What?"

"I have to go to the HQ and see what's up."

"But-but you can't go now," she complained.

"I have a feeling that I have to."

"What?!"

He walked over to his KLF and climbed up to the cockpit.

"You can't just leave me!" she exclaimed.

"Don't worry, Anemone, I'll come back for you plus you have the bike. I really have to go. Please. HQ is only twenty miles from here."

"Fine, but you better have a good explanation when you come back!"

Dominic rode down the hill and lifted his KLF into the air he then attached his board and looked back once to see Anemone looking back at him. The feeling still lingered in his gut. Something was definitely wrong…

Somewhere in the Promised Land

Renton stared out onto the ocean for the hundredth time. The sun sent a golden light across it to give it a beautiful effect. He still held Eureka's hand as he always had. Everything was so perfect.

"How many times have we stood on this ledge and looked out upon the world?" he asked he softly.

"More than I can count," she answered.

"How long have we been here?"

"Minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years…a lifetime."

Renton gazed across the land again. They had traveled the world together. They explored the seven seas, the desserts, tundras, mountains, forests, and all other wonders of the place called "Earth". It had been so peaceful and loving. Renton would treasure it all in his heart. All of it was spent with the girl he loved the most, Eureka. He looked at her for the millionth time and still felt like it was the first time he had seen her. She was still so beautiful.

"Eureka," he called to her.

"Yes."

"I know you would want this journey to never end, but I believe that we have some people waiting for us…Maurice, Maeter, Linck, Grandpa…"

Eureka smiled.

"I have been thinking the same."

"Then are you ready?"

"I'm ready."

"Then let's go home…"

Renton held Eureka's hand tighter and he felt a strange feeling. A bright light shone around them and a lifting sensation filled his body. He felt a breeze blowing across his body and he could see nothing through the bright light.

He turned his head to see Eureka still clutching his hand with her eyes closed. She was smiling, enjoying the moment. He didn't need for her to say it again, but her eyes still showed the words "I love you" in them. Renton smiled back and there was a flash of magnificent light.

Renton shielded his eyes then found himself and Eureka standing on grass. They were on a cliff in some sort of park. Renton looked down at the view before him. It was Bellforest…They were home…

Chapter 3: If I Fall

Dominic made it to the Bastion Military Base walked into the mission briefing room to see Seizo and the team standing in the room. An awkward feeling floated in the air. Something was wrong…

"Welcome, Captain," said Seizo, "I guess you can call me Lieutenant Nakata now."

"So…What happened," Dominic asked.

"We have a problem," he informed him.

"What?"

"While you on your little date, there was an…emergency."

"Why didn't you inform me?"

"At first, it was only thought to be a menial problem. Captain Redd and a few other captains were having a meeting at the Tarsian Military Base about one hundred miles from here. During the meeting, the base was invaded by what appeared to be a one-man team. The infiltrator had killed five guards, two maintenance workers, and one secretary."

Seizo paused for a moment.

"The captains were called for the retrieval of the intruder."

"They searched for three hours. LFOs patrolled the grounds around the clock. Redd and an other captain were found dead."

"Dead?"

"Nine millimeter shot to the head."

"When?"

"Just last night. That's why you were promoted. We needed a new captain immediately for our mission."

"Mission?"

"Yes."

Dominic shook his hands.

"Wait, wait, wait, I can't go on a mission now-I'm busy!"

"Your girlfriend can wait, Captain. This is important. The whole squad's going. We need to retrieve this individual before he causes any more damage. We are not sure of his intentions, but he is highly dangerous and we need to interrogate him."

Dominic opened his mouth to protest, but he knew it was useless.

After the Second Summer of Love, he was offered a better job in the military. He wasn't sure what to become and he found himself as a member of the third Special Operations Forces Squad . He didn't exactly want to be a hero, but still serve the people and he did have an interest in flying an LFO. Plus, he was being paid a very large salary. There hadn't been too many missions, most of them menial problems or incidents such as criminal groups or illegal smuggling. The matter at hand was like nothing he had ever experienced before.

"We leave for Tarsian Base at eight o'clock tonight. Be ready."

"What do you mean you have to go on a mission?!" exclaimed Anemone.

He had flown back to pick her up. She asked what the matter was, but he was exempt from telling her anything. They had reached the SOF HQ when he finally told her about the mission and now she was all upset.

"I can't believe this!" she yelled. "You promised to spend some time with me and now you're going off again!"

"Anemone, please calm down. This is really important. My captain was killed and I have to find out who did it and what their mission is!" he told her.

"Oh, so now your mission is more important than me?"

"No…"

"Why now?"

"I have to do this. It's my job. It's to protect our people."

He put his hand on Anemone's shoulder. She looked down at the floor.

"Please…you must understand this…" he said softly.

She said nothing. Dominic went and dressed into his SOF suit and gear. He found Anemone still sitting in the mission briefing room staring at the wall. He tried to speak to her, but she said nothing.

"It's time," said Seizo as he walked into the room. Seizo had a serious look on his face.

"Alright," said Dominic, "Let's go…bye Anemone. I should return soon."

She didn't answer. It was a lie. Dominic didn't really know if he would see her soon, but he hoped that the mission wouldn't take so long. He and Seizo started to walk out of the room when Anemone stood and spoke.

"Then what will I do?" she said quietly.

Dominic turned around and looked at her. She had tears in her eyes.

"What is it?" he asked.

"What will I do…What will I do if you die?" she said slowly.

"Anemone-"

"Tell me!"

She looked up and tears poured out. Dominic walked up to her and held her close to him. She sobbed and wrapped her arms around him.

"I will not die," he told her. "I will come back. I promise."

"But…"

"If I fall…I will use all the strength in my body to pull myself back up and come home to you. That is a promise will never brake…I swear on my heart."

"Please come back…" she said. " Dominic, I love you."

"I love you too Anemone."

He kissed her. When he did, he made sure that it was perfect because he wasn't sure if it would be the last time he kissed her. He was afraid, but he wouldn't have dared to show it.

"Captain Dominic, let's go," said Seizo.

Dominic nodded and released Anemone. She wiped her tears away and looked at him. Dominic tried to smile, but couldn't find it in him. He felt a feeling in his gut. It was as if he had already been shot. He turned away and followed Seizo out the door.

Chapter 4: When You Get Home

"That one looks like a LFO," said Maeter.

"Yeah," agreed Maurice dully.

They were in Grandpa's yard, lying in the grass and staring at the clouds. Maurice still wondered when Mama and Renton would get home. He had had a strange dream the night before. He dreamt that he was piloting an LFO. He was doing well and he could even do a cut-back drop turn.

Maurice was doing all sorts of awesome moves until his compact drive turned red. The warning light started flashing and he started to loose altitude. He was falling, faster and faster. Maurice thought he was going to die. He tried to move, but he just kept falling.

Then, in a split second, he found himself in saved. He was in the arms of the Nirvash. In the Nirvash sat Mama and Renton. They smiled and embraced him. Maurice was so happy. Then…he woke up.

Maurice took the compact drive out of his pocket. The heart with _Renton_ and _Eureka _in it still flashed inside. He wondered if the dream meant something. Maybe it was trying to tell him something. Maybe Mama and Renton did return which meant that their wish came true. Maurice sighed.

"That cloud looks like a skyfish!" said Linck.

"That is a skyfish!" Maeter told him.

"No it's not!"

"Yes it is! Look at it! It's moving!"

"It isn't!"

"Yes it is!"

"Will you guys shut up?!"

The two went silent and looked at their older brother. Maurice sat up and looked at them.

"All you guys ever do is argue! It's annoying! Can't you give me some peace?!"

"Wh-what's wrong, Maurice?" asked Maeter in a frightened tone.

Maurice took a deep breath and lied back down.

"Sorry…" he apologized, "I got a little angry…It's just…I miss Mama and Renton."

The feeling was eating away at him. He just wanted them to come home. Then everything would be alright. Maeter and Linck remained silent then looked at each other.

"Lunchtime!" called Grandpa from across the yard.

Maeter and Linck smiled again and jumped up.

"Lunchtime!" they both exclaimed.

"I'm getting there first!" exclaimed Maeter.

"No I am!" Linck told her.

They both ran like puppies during feeding time toward the house, pushing each other and trying to pass one another. Maurice sighed and got up. His brother and sister were just young children so it was normal for them to argue all the time. Maurice was mature for his age so he had many things to think and worry about.

"Please come home, Mama…" he said quietly.

"_Itadakimasu_!" Linck exclaimed before he dug into his sandwich.

"I hoped you washed your hands this time!" said Maeter.

"I did! I did!" he told her.

Maurice still wasn't hungry. He sat there staring at his food like he had the night before. Why did he feel that way? Mama and Renton had been gone a year, but it he hadn't felt that way before.

"Settle down," said Grandpa as he sat at the table.

They sat there eating. Maeter and Linck kept raving on and on about what they were going to do that day and Grandpa went on with saying "Oh, really?" and "Is that so?" Maurice sat in silence while they talked.

"We're home…" Renton said as they looked out at Bellforest.

"It's hard to believe," Eureka said quietly, "all that's happened. I mean, so much has changed in our lives…and the lives of everyone else…and the world."

Eureka had a very emotional look on her face. Renton new she was bringing back memories or thinking about what they would find. Renton squeezed her hand tighter and she turned and looked at him with a bit of water in her eyes.

"I know," Renton said.

"Still," she told him, "I'm glad to be back. Let's go and find Maurice, Maeter, and Linck. They'll be waiting for us."

"You're right."

They started to walk toward the exit when Renton noticed something. He looked to the left and saw a giant shiny sign. On the sign it read:

THIS PARK IS HEREBY DEDICATED TO RENTON THURSTON, SAVER OF THE WORLD.

Renton stared at the sign with wonder.

"I…have a park dedicated to me?" he said.

"I guess you're a hero now, Renton," Eureka said happily.

"Yeah…"

They walked to what looked like some sort of tram station. Renton thought about what else he might find as they returned home. They walked up to the ticket booth to see a young man inside with spiky black hair. The man was reading a copy of _ray=out,_ but he knew that they were there.

"How many?" asked the man, still reading the magazine.

Renton stared at the magazine and knew that it meant Gekkostate was still around.

"Uh, two," Renton said.

"The man pulled out two tickets and slipped them through the slot. Renton slowly pulled the tickets out.

"Oh, and uh…we don't have any money right now," he told the man.

"It's Sunday; It's free," the man answered simply.

"Oh, well, that's convenient," Renton said.

The man looked up then paused. He stared with his eye wide open and his jaw slightly dropping. Renton looked at the man then at Eureka.

"Um…I thank you," said Renton awkwardly.

He looked at the man and realized he wasn't staring at Eureka. At first, he wondered why the man stared at him in such a way, but then he remembered the sign.

"Oh, that's right. I'm Renton Thurston. Yeah, thanks for the tickets I guess we'll be on our way."

The tram pulled up on the station and they boarded without looking back. Renton had an awkward feeling. He had never felt like a hero so it would take time to grow accustomed to.

"What do you think we'll find," asked Renton as they sat quietly in the tram, "when we get home?"

Eureka put her head on his shoulder.

"Why are you worrying, Renton? Everything should be fine."

"Of course…"

Eureka had a nervous look. He knew that she was both excited and afraid. He wanted to say something to comfort her, but nothing came to mind. Renton clasped her hand tightly. Renton clasped her hand tightly. He was glad to be home, but something in him kept coming to the surface.

_No, _he told himself, _I mustn't be afraid. What could've happened? Nothing should be wrong._

"I wonder wow long we've been gone," Eureka said.

"I'm not sure," Renton replied, "I've lost track of time, but it's seemed like a month or so…"

The rest of the trip was quiet and peaceful. The tram finally stopped and they got off and took a quick look around. Renton knew some of the area so he made his way to the outskirts of the city. He didn't want to attract too much attention so he went to a small shop to ask for directions.

"Where can I find Axel Thurston?" he asked.

"Oh, up there at his…shop…" answered the woman inside, "don't I know you from somewhere. You're face seems so familiar."

"Yes, I'm…uh…Renton. I used to live with Grand-Axel. He's my grandfather. Thank you, goodbye!"

After waving, he took Eureka and they went to where the Thurston residence supposedly was. Renton thought about home. The area that the woman directed him in was the area where Grandpa's old shop used to be. Did he rebuild it?

Renton's question was finally answered. They saw the giant garage building and the house, just as it used to be. Renton smiled. It was as if he had just gone back in time, back to when he was fourteen years old living in a boring life in a crappy town.

"Wow, it looks just…just like when I first met you," he said as he turned toward Eureka. "Well, except there's no LFO where my room is."

She nodded with a smile on her face. They both walked toward the house wondering what was to come next.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it!" exclaimed Linck, jumping from his seat.

"No, I'll get it!" said Maeter copying him.

"In that case, I will answer it," Grandpa told them calmly. "You two need to eat."

"Awww," they both whined.

"C'mon, guys," Maurice told them.

Grandpa walked over to the door and opened it. Then, he froze. His face became pale and he backed away holding his chest.

"Oh, no is Grandpa having a heart-attack?" exclaimed Maeter with a worried look.

Grandpa smiled and tears fell from his eyes.

"So you're…you're back…"

Maurice looked at Maeter and Linck then ran to the door. There, in the doorway stood Mama and Renton. At first, Maurice couldn't believe it. Was it really them? He felt a feeling of shock and wonder.

"Well," said Renton, "we're back."

Maurice ran up to Mama and hugged her tightly. He felt hot tears run down his face. It was just too good to be true. He felt Mama wrap her hands around him.

"We missed you," she said softly.

It was the voice Maurice had missed. The soft, gentle voice he had heard so many times before. Now, he was finally hearing it again.

"W-we missed you more," said Maurice.

"Mama?!" he heard Maeter and Linck say.

They all ran up to her and had a family hug.

"So I don't get any hugs?" Renton chuckled.

Then Grandpa walked up to Renton and embraced him.

"It's so great…" said Grandpa with a sob, "to have everyone back again…"

It was so good to have the family back.

They sat at the table, but no one was eating. They were all talking, asking questions and wondering.

"Mama still has those pretty wings," said Maeter.

"What's that thing on her forehead?" asked Linck.

"Where did you go?" asked Maurice.

"Take it easy," said Grandpa, "one question at a time. They just got back."

Grandpa still had tears in his eyes and Maurice knew that he too had many questions.

"Well, we've traveled the world," Renton told them, "Earth that is, the True Promised Land."

Everyone sat quietly and listened. Renton told them about all that they saw: vast deserts, lush jungles, wide open seas, magnificent mountains, snow fields, mystical forests, and ancient ruins.

"What was it like?" asked Maeter curiously.

"Beautiful," answered Eureka, "like nothing you would ever imagine."

Maurice sat there wondering what it would have been like to travel the world with Mama and Renton. It would have truly been wonderful. Grandpa stood from his seat.

"You were gone a very long time," Maurice added with a face showing that he had missed them.

"How long have we really been gone?" Renton asked curiously.

"About one year," Grandpa said.

"A year?" Renton asked with disbelief. "Really? It didn't seem like that long. I thought maybe a month or a few weeks."

"I'm sure it's hard to tell the time down there," Grandpa said, "I want to know more, but I have to make a very important phone call."

He walked out of the room without hesitation. Then Maurice, Maeter and Linck talked about what had happened while Mama and Renton were gone.

Holland laid on his bed thinking. For some reason, he couldn't get the thought of the mysterious phone call out of his mind. The anonymous voice sound so strange. It sounded dark and chilling. Holland couldn't stop thinking about the notion that something was wrong. He turned over restlessly and looked at the wall.

All of a sudden, the phone rang. At first, Holland ignored it. He wondered if it was the same man calling again. The phone rang once more. He got up and went to answer it.

"Hello?" he said slowly.

"Hello, is this Holland?" answered a familiar voice.

"Mister…Thurston?" Holland asked.

"Yes, it's me!" answered the very excited voice of Axel.

Holland hadn't spoken to Axel Thurston too much. The last time they spoke was when he offered to take Renton's kids.

"You have to come here quickly!" Axel said.

"Is something wrong? Is it the kids?"

"No, no, no! It's Renton, he's back! He's at my house! Oh, I have to go, I will see you soon."

Axel hung up and Holland almost dropped the phone. They were finally back. Holland paused and thought for a moment. Then, he found himself rushing down the hall as fast as he could. He blasted his way through the doorway of the lounge room and saw that everyone was looking at him.

"Alright everyone, Renton and Eureka are back so we're going to Bellforest right now!"

Everyone froze and stared. Matthieu was halfway through eating a slice of pizza and Moondoggie was leaning back in his chair then finally fell over.

"You heard me, team, they're back so we're going RIGHT NOW!"

Everyone shot bolt upright.

"YES, LEADER!" they all said.

Everyone got to their positions and headed the Gekko-Go towards Bellforest.

Chapter 5: In the Dark

As Dominic flew in his KLF, he could think of nothing, but Anemone. The thoughts tortured him inside uncontrollably. He didn't know if he could take it. The trip to Tarsian Base wasn't too long, but the thoughts ate away the time.

"Alright," said Seizo, "everybody ready? We haven't had a mission like this in quite some time."

"Hell, I'm ready!" exclaimed Hans through the communications system, "I can't wait to nail this guy!"

"You can't use the rocket launcher if that's what you're thinking," said Naomi.

"I wonder who the hell would break into a military base at this time of year," Marshal said.

"Well," said Seizo, "Tarsian Base was just went under reconstructed a couple of month's ago and some parts are still under construction. That means that the security systems aren't as sufficient so an intruder has a chance of getting in."

"Still," added Clark, "this guy's gotta be really good and he's gotta have a lot of guts."

"Captain," asked Naomi, "you alright?"

Dominic didn't answer he barely paid any attention to what it was that they were saying. He really didn't care or even if he did, he still couldn't clear his mind. He just stared blankly at the floor.

"What's wrong with him?" Naomi whispered to Seizo.

"Ahh," replied Seizo, "the captain's just got a lot of stress on him. I mean, he did become captain pretty fast and he probably wasn't expecting something like this…He's probably suffering a little from love. His girlfriend and he were having a bit of trouble back at the HQ."

"Anemone?" asked Naomi, "I remember her. She's a nice girl…She's got a good man too. I wish I had a boyfriend like Dominic, someone who's brave and will do anything for the sake of love."

They talked on and on, but Dominic still paid little attention.

"We've arrived at the destination," announced the pilot from the intercom.

Dominic finally got back to his senses as they approached their destination. He hopped out of the ship and walked across the landing zone with the rest of the team behind him. Wind whipped against Dominic's face like waves as he stepped onto the ground. He looked around at the massive base area around him. A man in a suit and several guards walked up to him.

"Hello, you must be Captain Sorel," said the man in the suit, shaking Dominic's hand.

"Yes," said Dominic.

"I'm William J. Donovan of security," continued the man. "We currently have several Mon-Soonos patrolling the area and hunting for any signs of an escape attempt. The seventh SOF squad is currently inspecting some of the bases facilities on the other side, but we have reason to believe that the intruder is underneath us in the storage facilities. We need you to go in there and ferret out the enemy. Remember, we want him alive. Injuries shouldn't be critical. We need to interrogate him."

"Alright," said Dominic firmly. "Seizo, Richard, Marshal, and Naomi, get into you're KLFs and monitor the outside areas. Let's head out, team!"

The rest of the team took an elevator down to the lower storage units. Armed with assault rifles, they carefully entered a long hallway that split in two directions. Dominic, Clark, Hans, and Derrick were forced to part.

"Clark and I will go left," Dominic ordered. "Derrick and Hans, go right! No one goes anywhere alone."

"We know, we know…" Derrick whined.

"Still gotta get used to being captain," Clark said.

The team followed the orders and separated. Dominic and Clark walked through a labyrinth of hallways in the dark. It was very dark so they turned on their flashlights. Dominic tried to keep his guard, but thoughts of Anemone drifted into his mind.

"How are you doing?" asked Seizo over the communication system.

"Nothing yet," Dominic told him, "you?"

"Haven't even spotted a bug."

"Alright."

They walked along and searched several rooms, but still no signs. Thoughts of Anemone still floated in Dominic's conscience.

"Anemone…" he said quietly as the walked along.

"Miss her already?" asked Seizo over the radio.

"Yeah…"

"You got yourself a good girl there, Captain. Don't worry. we'll get outta here soon enough. Hopefully we won't have any casualties."

"Hopefully…"

Dominic could bear to think about Anemone suffering from the loss of the one she loved the most. Dominic tried to focus on the mission.

"Man," complained Hans over the radio, "I still can't wait till we get some new LFOs."

"Yeah," said Clark, "We got some crappy Mon-Soono-based KLFs."

"Well," said Derrick, "they said something about making up for it by giving us the new prototype LFOs."

"They better be something nice," added Naomi.

"Hey, Captain!" said Marshal.

"Yes?" answered Dominic.

"We have signs of the target. There are a few bloody footprints leading into a storage building."

"Check it out, but be on guard," he said to him cautiously.

"Affirmative," answered Marshal.

First there was silence. Then Marshal's voice came again.

"Nothing, sir, but someone's definitely been here…" he said calmly. "What? Hey! Holy shit!"

Dominic heard bursts of machinegun fire over the radio.

"What's happening?" he asked anxiously.

"Target sighted!" answered Marshal aggressively. "We lost him, but he's here. It's one guy and he actually thinks he can take down a KLF."

_ Beep-beep!_

"Marshal, what was that?" Dominic called.

"Satchel charges!" yelled Marshal.

There were two load booms that Dominic could hear from inside the building. The hair on the back of his neck rose.

"Marshal, what happened? Marshal, answer me!" he said.

"Damn!" yelled Richard.

"What happened?" asked Dominic.

"This guy put a few satchel's on our legs. We're down!" Richard alerted. "I have to get out of the KLF.

"What happened to Marshal?" asked Dominic.

"I'm not sure, he might be unconscious or…"

_Crack!_

There was no answer. Dominic called again, but there was a _snap_ and then static. Dominic paused and found himself breathing heavily. Something was wrong. Clark was standing in front of him listening to his radio with a shocked look on his face.

"Seizo, what happened?" called Dominic.

"I don't know," answered Seizo. "Naomi and I separated from Marshal and Richard a while ago. We'll go find out what happened, but I got a hell of a bad feeling."

Dominic also had a horrible feeling in his gut. Something definitely was wrong. They walked on for a long time and still no response from Seizo. Soon, they heard several bursts of gunfire.

"What's that?" asked Clark cautiously.

"It's near so it might be Derrick and Hans," Dominic said.

They started to rush towards the gunfire. It grew louder and louder. They soon heard it just ahead. Then, the gunfire stopped. They heard a noise.

Dominic knew the sound; it was the sound of a silenced weapon. They heard something drop to the floor with a thud and found two bodies as they turned the corner. Derrick and Hans lay sprawled on the floor in front of the entrance to a large room. Clark walked up and examined them carefully. Dominic wanted to panic, but he tried to stay calm.

_Hold in there, Captain,_ he thought to himself.

"We have two soldiers down!" Dominic called into the radio.

There was no answer. He called again, but all that he received was dead silence.

"Something's blocking the transition," he said.

"Headshot…They're both dead," Clark told him.

Dominic took a deep breath. Whoever they were dealing with sure was accurate. They entered the large room. It was a storage center filled with boxes, crates, and canisters.

"This place is perfect for a hiding," said Clark. "He could be anywhere…"

They soon heard a metal banging noise from across the room. Dominic held his breath and listened. A chilling scrapping noise sounded from above. He looked up. There above them were many balconies and platforms. It was true, the enemy could be anywhere.

"Turn off your flashlight," Dominic ordered.

He and Clark both turned their lights off. It was silent and dark, very dark. Dominic pulled over his goggles and turned on the night-vision. Clark did the same. He looked through the green light, but saw nothing.

Clark started to walk forward when Dominic stopped him.

"Wait, it's a trap," he said quietly.

Clark stopped and turned.

"What? What's wrong?"

"To advance any further, you'd have to pass those canisters," Dominic told him, pointing to four large canisters nearby. "An explosive or incendiary bullet could cause them to burst into flames. Whoever we are dealing with is pretty accurate so I would be very cautious."

"Understood."

They searched around for any detectable movement for a few moments, but saw nothing. Dominic heard a very faint clattering noise slightly to the right and he turned his head. There he was. Sitting in a dark corner, behind a large crate was a man dressed completely in black with his face concealed by a gasmask. The man was holding a silenced pistol and it was pointed directly at Dominic.

"There!" Dominic yelled while pointing.

He quickly strafed to the left to evade any shots that the enemy fired. He heard the silenced gunfire and felt something slash across his left shoulder. His shoulder burned like fire and he felt warm blood ooze out. Dropping his gun, He clutched his wound and fell hard onto the floor in pain.

"Captain!"

Clark ran to Dominic to see if he was still alive.

"Man down! The captain is down!" he called into the radio.

Clark fired several shots at the enemy's direction. He then paused and ducked for cover next to Dominic.

"Are you alright, Captain?" he asked.

"Yeah," Dominic replied, "it just grazed my shoulder, nothing too bad."

"Good, but we gotta be careful."

_No,_ Dominic thought, _I can't give up now. Anemone needs me…I made a promise…_

They sat in silence for a few moments. Several banging noises sounded around the room, but nothing else happened. Clark tried to contact Seizo, but there was still no reply. Clark finally stood and looked around.

A few seconds later, a dark figure dropped from above and aggressively kicked the gun out of Clark's arms. The enemy whipped out something from his belt and slashed Clark twice. As Clark fell, the enemy flipped the blade in his hands and stabbed it into the back of Clark's neck with a sickening _snap_. Dominic watched his comrade fall lifeless to the floor.

The enemy before him was the same one that had shot him. Dominic stared into the dark glass of the gasmask. The man flipped his knife again so that he held it on the tip, ready to throw. Just as the man pulled back his hand, Dominic quick-drew his pistol from his side and shot six rounds into the man's chest until he fell.

The figure fell to the floor and didn't move. Dominic stared for a moment at the body of the enemy lying on the ground. He then got to his feet and took a deep breath. His comrades were dead and he was alone in the dark. His arm burned like fire and he couldn't contact anyone. He slowly started staggering toward the exit when he heard a clattering from behind.

He turned around and saw nothing...the enemy's body was gone.

_God dammit!_ Dominic thought. The enemy obviously was equipped with a bullet-proof vest and had fooled him. Dominic didn't know what to do, but he was glad it was over. Then, he felt something bump against his feet and he looked down. On the ground, front of him…laid a grenade…the pin pulled.

Horror filled his mind and sent a tingle down his spine. Dominic panicked. He did the only thing he could do, he kicked the grenade. It flew across the floor and slid right in front of the four gas canisters. Dominic staggered as fast as he could toward the exit.

BOOM!

Dominic felt an unstoppable force like no other push against him. He flew across the room and crashed hard against the wall. He felt pain surge through his body like lightning. The ground vibrated and something heavy dropped on him. He couldn't hear anything, but the irritating ring in his ears. He couldn't move or speak. There was nothing, but pain.

Thoughts of Anemone rushed into his mind rapidly. Memories came back to him: the first time they met, the first time he realized he loved her, the first time they kissed, the time he saved her, the night under the moon, their last kiss of goodbye…

Dominic didn't know how long he laid there in agony. The ringing had stopped and he heard faint voices.

"Over there!" said Seizo voice.

He heard someone rush up to him and grab him.

"He's still alive! Don't worry, Captain, we're gonna get you the hell out of here now!" said Naomi.

"Let's go! We gotta get out of here!"

"Hold on, Captain!"

Dominic felt himself being carried away. He felt no more pain, but he felt a strange feeling that he couldn't explain.

"Anemone…" he said. "I…I…"

All went dark…

Chapter 6: Old Friends

"Wow," said Gidget as Gekkostate looked upon their long missed companions.

"You guys look so different," commented Moondoggie.

"Wings? Interesting…" said Mischa.

"Where have you been the last, uh, year?" asked Hilda curiously.

"Did you bring back any souvenirs?" asked Matthieu.

They were sitting in the lounge room of the Gekko-Go. Eureka and Renton were invited in by Holland and now they stood with all eyes on them. Almost everyone seemed a little shocked at Eureka's appearance, but nevertheless, they were all extremely curious. Renton felt as glad to see Gekkostate as he was to see the kids. Even Eureka smiled with small drops of water gathering in her eyes. Her eyes showed that she was remembering all that Gekkostate had done for her and all the memories she had. Renton didn't know exactly how long it had been, but it was so great to be reunited with the people he considered family.

Holland looked exactly the same with the same exact jacket and the same serious look in his eyes even with a grin, Talho wore her hair in a bun and wore a blue _ray=out_ shirt and jeans, Gidget wore a white tank top and jeans that exposed her ankles, but she kept the same hat, Moondoggie had the same outfit on except that his shirt had "Moondoggie" written on it. Matthieu was the same except for sunglasses that he wore around his neck, everyone else looked the same as before.

Renton took the honor of explaining everything over again; the Scub allowed them the ability to travel threw the Promised Land on Trappar and they had explored the world, seen fantastic things, and had an amazing adventure. After that, everyone walked up to them and embraced them (being extra careful not to harm Eureka's wings).

"It's so great to see everyone again," said Eureka happily.

"Yeah, but someone's missing," said Renton.

He looked at Holland.

"Stoner left to do some big-shot photography job and—"

Talho walked through the doorway with a bundle in her arms. Renton finally realized that the bundle was an infant.

"Sorry, but there was a little 'changing' to do," said Talho. "Wow, Eureka, Renton, you look…different. I am glad that you're back."

Renton and Eureka walked up to Talho and took a good look at the baby. It was a boy and he was fast asleep. The baby looked a bit like Holland with black hair and light skin.

"Hey, he looks like Holland," commented Renton.

"Of course," said Holland. "Who'd you expect him to look like?"

"What's his name?" asked Eureka.

"Charles," answered Talho softly as she cradled the baby.

Renton stared blankly at the baby. The name brought back old memories, good and bad. He was about to ask why they chose that name, but he thought it best to let it be. He probably would have chosen "Charles" if they had asked him for a name. Eureka glanced at Renton with a loving look. For some reason, Renton blushed a little.

_Is she thinking about children?_ He thought, _No, no, we already have kids_. _What am I thinking about?_

"What else has happened while we were gone?" asked Renton.

Holland sighed.

"Nothing really," he said. "We've been traveling around and the Federation gave us a couple of awards for participating in the saving of the world. We've seen your face a thousands of times on TV and _ray=out_ is getting more popular."

Renton smiled. Everything with Gekkostate was doing well.

"Did you miss us?" asked Talho.

"Of course," said Renton.

"We never stopped thinking about all of you," Eureka told them. "You are our family. We can now be with you all."

"You all look the same," said Renton.

It was true, Gekkostate didn't seem to have changed a bit except for Stoner's leaving and the new baby. Then, Renton noticed something.

"Where's Gonzy?" he asked.

Everyone exchanged a few glances.

"Well," said Holland, "It seems that the whole time, he was…he was a Coralian."

"A Coralian?" asked Renton.

The whole time, he had never suspected the little old man to be that of which Eureka was. Renton had always wondered about Gonzy though.

"It seems that he was monitoring us the whole time," Holland told them, "making sure that Eureka became who she was meant to be."

"What happened to him?" asked Eureka.

"Oh," Holland answered, "he kind of went 'poof'"

"Poof?" asked Renton.

"Yes, he disappeared," Holland answered.

"But we still have his clothes somewhere on this ship," added Matthieu. "Maybe we can sell them on an online auction. 'The clothes of an old coralian/Gekkostate member'. Maybe someone will by it."

They chatted on and on about everything that had happened. Renton felt comfortable and glad that they were home with their family.

Chapter 7: My Mission

Dominic stood in the middle of a dark room. He it was freezing cold and a feeling of death lingered in the air. Soon he saw the enemy, the man with the gasmask. Soon, another man who looked exactly the same came into view, then another, and another. Soon, Dominic found himself surrounded by these men, all pointed pistols in his face. Dominic felt a horrible feeling of shock overwhelm him. He couldn't move. Then he heard a strange noise from behind. He turned around and the men disappeared. Standing directly behind him was Anemone. She stood there as still as a statue, but he knew that she was looking at him. The look in her eyes was clear, the look of death.

_Beep…beep…beep_

Dominic slowly woke and opened his eyes. He could barely move and he realized he was lying in a bed. There was a beeping noise coming from the green monitor nearby. He knew where he was, the hospital.

_Thank God,_ he thought to himself.

He was alive. He laid his head back and looked around. The room was dark, but light shown under the door. There was a clock at his bedside which he checked, 3:00 a.m. It was early in the morning. Dominic heard a groan and looked to the right. Sitting in a chair by his bed was Anemone. She was fast asleep under a blanket. Her eyes looked very drowsy and the he could tell that she had been crying.

Dominic sighed. He wondered how much pain Anemone had to go through, but he knew that she was glad to see him alive. He then realized that he his left arm was completely concealed by a white cast. So he had been damaged.

The door opened and Seizo walked in.

"Anemone," he said, "you should—Oh, you're awake."

Anemone woke and looked at Seizo then at Dominic. Her sleepy eyes widened and she embraced Dominic. Dominic felt a warm feeling. He was so glad to see her. He loved Anemone so much.

"Oh my gosh!" she said. "I'm so glad that you're okay!"

"Ow!" said Dominic as he felt a little pain in his chest.

"Sorry," she said.

Her eyes began to water. Dominic grasped her hand.

"I am glad to see you too," he told her. "I told you that I wouldn't die."

"You're really lucky," said Seizo. "You were blown away by the blast, but you only suffer from a broken arm and a few minor wounds."

Another man walked through the door. It was William J. Donovan of the Security Bureau. The man was dressed in the same suit as before and had a stern look.

"Glad to see you awake, Captain Sorel," he said.

"So..." said Dominic, "what happened."

"Well," said William, "the mission failed. We couldn't find the fugitive and we believe he escaped. We aren't sure of what his objectives were, but we do know what he took."

"What?" asked Dominic.

"He hacked into a Federation data archive," said Donovan, "and deleted quite a few documents and files about a classified subject."

"It cost us five men," said Seizo solemnly. "Could you at least give us a hint as to what was stolen."

"The files were on an organization." Donovan said. "These files were quite new and not much has been viewed. When a file is deleted, a backup copy is automatically created just in case, but he destroyed that also and he managed to hack the alert system. Whoever we are dealing with knows a lot about the Federation's copter system."

He paused.

"And I'm sorry about your team. It is such a tragic loss…" said Donovan.

Dominic looked downward. He remembered how much death the mission had. The enemy was too strong, not even he could take the target down. Visions of his dead comrades filled his conscience.

"What else can be done?" asked Seizo.

"Well," said Donovan, "we are currently in search for the fugitive, but we haven't found anything. How he got in and how he escaped is still a mystery. Some report seeing an unknown ship, but the radars detected nothing. With five of your team members dead, and your captain in the condition he is, your team will be temporarily dismissed from action."

Seizo nodded and looked at the ground. Donovan bid them farewell and walked away. Seizo then looked at Dominic.

"I'm sorry," said Dominic.

"Sorry?" asked Seizo. "Since when was it your fault? You did nothing wrong, Captain. The enemy was too strong. He will be caught and persecuted and our team will get back in action. Everyone will do their best"

Dominic forced a smile, but he felt a doubt rise within him.

"All that matters now is that you're alive," said Anemone.

Dominic really did smile, just for her. He leaned forward and kissed her. It was so great to see Anemone again…

"Sir," said Hyde as he entered the office.

"What is it?" answered Arner.

"We have received information from Steller."

"Oh, and does this help?"

"It has helped us understand a little about the Key, but we still do not know its whereabouts."

"Well, Steller's working on it so be patient. Steller has never failed me and he will not."

"I understand, sir."

"I just hope his past doesn't get in the way again…"

"What was that?"

"Nothing…You may leave."

Hyde left the room and Arner went back to his computer. He started replaying the videos of the Second Summer of Love. He sighed and looked at the compact drive again. The name "Eureka" was still visible inside. He knew that Eureka would soon be in his grasp.

Steller walked through the town of Bellforest. Every few people would stare at him as if he were going to kill them. It was only natural. Who wouldn't glance at a mysterious man dressed entirely in black in the middle of a sunny day? He wore a black trench coat to conceal his battle armor and a large black hat to cover his head, but his mask was still visible. The gasmask also scared people. A young boy had asked him about it and he told him that it was just a costume. He would simply ask for information, but of course, no one would speak to him.

Even the police grew suspicious. He had to take out three officers already and he hoped that he wouldn't have to claim anymore lives. He could kill as many people as he wanted, but it would cause too much of a commotion and the mission would only be more difficult.

Steller walked down an alleyway and up to a metal door. He knocked three times on the door and a slit at head level on the door opened.

"Who calls the Lone Hunter?" asked the man behind the door.

"The King's Finest Knight," answered Steller.

The door opened slowly.

"Aw, come in," said the man.

Steller walked through the door and into a small room filled with equipment and electronics. There were a few computers on a large desk and a few guns and ammo on the wall.

"Welcome, Steller," said the operative. "HQ told me you'd be coming."

He wore a black vest and navy blue pants and long sleeve shirt. He also had on black boots and black gloves. He wore a cloth mask that covered his entire head except hit eyes. He also had on a headset. He was a DS spy stationed in Bellforest.

"It's a pleasure to actually have you here," said the man as he put his hand out for Steller to shake.

Steller didn't even bother looking at the man's hand.

"I just need information," Steller said.

The man put his hand down and went to a computer.

"I've detected a strange amount of trapper rise at the Thurston Park yesterday. I have heard from a man that Renton Thurston has returned, but luckily, not many people believe him. I also have a picture of them."

The operative opened up a window on the screen that showed Renton and Eureka Thurston walking down a road.

"Where can I find them?" asked Steller.

"Where else?" asked the operative. "The Thurston residence…"

Without a "Thank You", Steller began to leave the building.

"One more thing," said the operative. "Be careful of government agents. A few have been roaming around this area. IT might be me or you, but they seem to know something."

"I'll watch my back," Steller said as he walked out the door.

He walked down the alley and turned into a lone street corner of town.

"Halt!" said a voice.

A man in a coat climbed out of a nearby car and walked up to Steller with his hand on a gun holster.

"I'm going to have to ask you to come with me," he said.

"And if I resist?" asked Steller darkly.

The man waved his hand and three nearby trucks opened up and several heavily armored police officers came out loaded with submachine guns, shotguns, and carbines. There were about twenty to of them.

"I was expecting more," Steller said in a unsatisfied voice.

"If we have to we'll call in Mon-Soonos," the man said.

"Then take me…" Steller said.

He stretched out his arms and the man in the coat pulled out a machine pistol and slowly advanced toward Steller. He held the gun up to Steller's face and reached into Steller's coat. As the man felt for Steller's weapons, the assassin waited for the right moment. Blink.

Steller ripped the gun out of the man's hand and with one hand, he grabbed the man's face and cracked his neck. The police forces within the vicinity began to fire and Steller used the corpse as a shield. He then rotated in a circle and began to shoot his enemies. He hit about ten before he did a summersault to a nearby van. Steller kicked the gun out of an officer's hands and used his knife to cut open one of the men's vest then he slashed him twice in the chest. He pulled the pin off one of the officer's grenades and threw him onto his comrades. Steller did another back flip just as the grenade exploded, causing the van to blow up. Several officers nearby were sent flying from the explosion and several rounds fired in the air. The officer's were distracted by the blast and Steller took advantage by rushing toward them. He slit an officer's throat and used the body to jump off of. Steller did a back flip in the air and was able to draw his silent pistol and shoot three officers in the neck and head. He landed on the ground and quickly whirled around to throw his knife into another man's chest. He then shot another officer in the knee so that he fell to the ground. Steller slowly walked up to the man on the ground and pulled his knife out of the body next to him. The man on the ground quickly drew out his pistol, but Steller shot him in the face just as he fired a round into Steller's bulletproof vest.

"Fools…" he said coldly.

Steller then walked away back down the alleyway just as a fire truck pulled up. He then headed to the Thurston residence. Nothing would get in his way.

Chapter 8: Aboard the Ship

Renton entered the lounge area once again. It was the third day he was spending on the Gekko-Go. They had spent a day with Grandpa, but Renton wanted to go back to the Gekko-Go where all his memories lied. Eureka, the kids, and he were aboard the Gekko-Go along with the rest of the crew. Everything was normal; it was just like the year before, it was as if Renton and Eureka had been with them all along.

"Hey," said Matthieu as Renton entered.

"Hey," replied Renton.

Renton sat down on the couch and closed his eyes. It had been another day. They had done some maintenance on the Gekko-Go, but nothing much. Renton didn't care what he did, as long as he was with his family.

"Renton!" said Maurice Maeter and Linck as they stormed into the room. They ran up to him and Linck jumped on his lap.

"Ow!" he said, "What is it?"

"Will you play a board game with us?" asked Maeter.

"Uh no I' m not feeling up to it right now, maybe later. Where's Eureka?"

"Mama's at the bridge!" said Linck.

"Ok," said Renton. "I'm gonna go see her."

Renton got up and walked to the door. The three kids groaned, but then tried getting Matthieu's attention. Renton walked down the halls and finally got to the Gekko-Go Bridge. Everyone was in their positions, but seemed so relaxed and easygoing. Eureka was standing next to Holland, talking.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"I don't know yet," answered Holland, "but we're going to go somewhere when we need to."

"Eureka," said Renton.

She turned and smiled at him. In the light, her wings sparkled as they always did. She was still wearing the same white and turquoise outfit she did a year before except that Talho had cut holes in the back for her wings. She looked as beautiful as ever. Renton walked up to her and kissed her on the lips.

"Hey," said Holland, "if you're going to start doing that, I suggest you do it somewhere private. Just don't get carried away"

Holland made a little wink at Renton. Renton nodded and held Eureka by the hand.

"Let's go find the kids," he suggested, "They should be in the lounge."

"Alright," she answered.

They walked all the way back to the lounge to find it empty.

"Hmm," said Renton, "I guess they got Matthieu's attention. Well, I guess we can do something else."

He looked at Eureka and smiled.

"I've been waiting for your report," said Arner as Hyde entered.

"Sorry, sir, "Hyde apologized.

"Please tell me what has happened so far…"

"Sir, the projects are going well, we have the Type Eight VENOM in good condition. Our other experiments are still going underway. The Type Seven we think might be able to function, but we will still run more tests."

"Any word from Steller?"

"Yes, he has information on the whereabouts of the Key. He went to the supposed residence, but found nothing. The Key is currently aboard the ship known as the Gekko-Go along with Gekkostate. Steller is doing his best to get the job done, but we need the Key as soon as possible."

"I see…"

"I will report our status tomorrow."

With that, Hyde left the room. Arner sat at his desk again. He opened a drawer and pulled out a few photographs. He looked at his younger self and thought about the past. The memories seemed to flow back into him as if he was going back in time.

"Admiral Arner…" he said as he stared at his old military photos.

He then flipped it and saw the picture of him standing next to his old friend.

"You thought that you could gain control…I guess it's my turn now…Dewey."

"Dammit," Dominic said to himself again.

He just couldn't help the fact that he had failed the mission and currently could not embark on any others.

"Don't blame yourself," said Anemone. "It's not your fault that they died. It's not your fault that the mission failed."

She rested her head on his shoulder to make him feel better, but all Dominic could think about was the strange man with the gasmask. There were so many things he desired to know.

They were sitting on a bench in the Renton Thurston Park. Anemone had suggested to take a little trip to the park for Dominic to calm down. Dominic had been in the hospital for a few more days before he was released. He had had a massive argument with Seizo about the mission. Dominic kept blaming himself and complaining about the team's losses. Anemone had dragged Dominic out of the hospital and forced him to get away from all that was happening.

"Let's just stop thinking about it," she told him. "It isn't important."

"What do you mean? It's very important!" Dominic complained. "This is a crisis we have to face. We don't know who this guy is or what he's up to! We-"

"I meant it's not important right _now_," Anemone said, trying to sooth his disgruntled mind. "You promised to spend time with me! Please, let's just have a moment."

Dominic calmed and looked at her lovingly.

"You're…you're right…" he said. "I don't know what it was."

He wrapped his arm around her and kissed her. He didn't need to think about anything that moment, but Anemone. As their lips touched, he felt as if the stress was derived from him. He sat back and took a deep breath. Everything would be alright.

_Ring! Ring! _

"Please don't," Anemone told him as he reached for his phone.

"But-"

"Don't,"

Dominic couldn't argue with her so he ignored thee phone, but he still wondered who was calling and why. They sat there gazing at the view of the city for a few minutes. The small breeze blew against their faces. He tried to pretend that his arm wasn't in a cast anymore. Dominic tried to relax when his phone rang again.

"Please," Anemone said again.

Dominic ignored his phone again, but he still wondered. He sighed and tried to relax again after the phone ceased ringing.

"Do you ever wonder where Eureka and Renton are?" she asked him.

"Sometimes," he replied.

"Do you think that they'll come back?"

"Maybe."

"What ever happened to the Nirvash?"

"Well, it…uh…it disappeared because it fulfilled its purpose."

"Like theEND?"

"I guess theEND fulfilled its purpose too."

Talking about theEND brought back very old memories. Some of them were disturbing so Dominic shook his head.

"Let's talk about something else," he suggested.

Just then, his phone rang once again. He looked at Anemone.

"Anemone, can't I just-"

"Fine, go ahead, but you better not be going anywhere."

Dominic reached into his pocket and answered the phone.

"Hello?"

"Hey, it's Seizo."

"Please, I don't want to talk about the mission anymore."

"I don't either and it's not about the mission."

"Then what?"

"There has been some news spread that the hero, Renton Thurston and the coralian, Eureka have returned."

"What?"

"No one knows exactly, but we believe they are on the Gekko-Go. Renton was your buddy, wasn't he? I just wanted to let you know. See ya."

Dominic hung up and thought for a moment. He then turned towards Anemone.

"Another emergency?" she groaned.

"Not really."

"Then why do you look so surprised?"

"It's…Renton and Eureka are back."

"What?!"

"They're on the Gekko-Go."

"Oh, wow! I didn't think they would return right now. Are we going to see them?"

"Maybe, if we can find the Gekko-Go."

Dominic sighed again. He had that feeling again, the feeling that something was wrong…

"I love you," said Renton as he wrapped his arms around Eureka.

Before she could say anything, he kissed her. She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck and leaned into him. Her lips were so soft and warm. Renton pushed her against the wall.

They were in one of the storage rooms near the rear of the Gekko-Go. Holland told them that if they really wanted to express they're affection, to do it in private and the dark, old storage room was the best place they could find.

It seemed like a long time as Renton kissed Eureka. He loved her so much and they shared the moment so lovingly. He had kissed her many times before, but it hadn't really been something like he that. Eureka seemed to enjoy the moment as much as he was. He felt as if he was in some sort of dream and he didn't know exactly what he would do next.

_Don't get carried away,_ Renton thought.

The door opened slightly and there was a flash of light. Alarmed, Renton leaped backward. Eureka and Renton glanced at the door.

"Ha ha!" exclaimed Matthieu. "That's definitely going on the next edition of _ray=out_!"

"Yeah," said Moondoggie who was holding the camera, "What should we call it?"

"_ray=out Make=Out_! Oh that's great!" Matthieu said.

"Wh-what the hell are you doing?!" asked Renton loudly.

He wasn't sure what he was more, embarrassed or furious.

"Sorry, Renton," said Moondoggie, "but we wanted to get a shot of you for the new cover of _ray=out_. We followed you and found you here."

"Ah! Go away! Can't you see Eureka and I are busy?"

"Oh, Moondoggie, get the video camera!"

"GO AWAY, GUYS!"

Matthieu and Moondoggie strode away down the hall, chuckling a bit. Renton slammed the door and turned towards Eureka. She had a surprised look on her face.

"Oh, my God!" he said, "Those idiots! Are you alright, Eureka?"

"Yes," said Eureka calmly.

She walked up to Renton and hugged him.

"I love you, Renton."

She still looked just as beautiful in the dark. Her eyes were filled with love.

"Now where were we?"

Holland yawned as he sat in his chair at the bridge. He looked at his watch which read 8:35 p.m. It was already dark outside.

"No wonder I'm drowsy," he said to himself. "Ken-Goh, can you watch the bridge? I'm going to get some rest."

"Affirmative," said Ken-Goh in an awake and prepared voice.

Holland worded how the man could stay awake, but he turned his attention to his own rest. He walked down the hall to his room. On the way, he passed Eureka and Renton who had grins on their faces and giggling a bit.

"Oh, and what have you two been up to?" he asked.

"Just some business," said Renton.

"I don't know if I can trust you two in the same room," he told them jokingly.

"We've been alone together for a year now," Renton told him, "don't you think we can handle it?"

"I was only joking…"

Holland finally made it to his room and he fell over on the bed. Talho was already asleep and Charles was in his crib, dreaming. Holland threw off his jacket and stuffed his head into the pillow as if he were going to consume it. He rolled over and fell asleep.

Renton sat quietly on the top bunk. He was sitting next to Eureka with Maurice Maeter and Linck sound asleep on the bottom bunk. Eureka was under the covers with her eyes closed. She looked so peaceful while she slept. Renton could tell that she was dreaming because of her smile that popped up now and then. For some reason, Renton couldn't sleep. He had tried, but just couldn't do it..

As sly as a snake, Renton slipped past Eureka and out tiptoed out the door. He made his way to the bridge where he found Ken-Goh, Hap, and Moondoggie.

"Why aren't you in bed?" asked Ken-Goh as he turned to look at Renton.

"I can't sleep," he answered.

"I don't think I can last," said Moondoggie as he yawned and stretched his arms.

"Maybe we could land the ship," suggested Hap, "We're not really going anywhere."

"Fine," said Ken-Goh who still looked fully awake.

After ten minutes or so, they found and abandoned runway where they landed the Gekko-Go. Moondoggie got from his seat and stretched again.

"Alright," he said, "I'm going to hit the sack."

"Me too," said Hap. "Let's go Renton."

"What about you?" Renton asked Ken-Goh.

"Oh, I'll just stay here for the night," he answered. "You go on to bed."

Renton hesitated, then he went off back to the room to get some rest. As he laid next to Eureka, he kissed her on the forehead. She smiled in her sleep and Renton laid back and fell asleep.

The Gekko-Go just sat there on the runway. Steller gazed at it as he stood on a hill, not too far away. He slowly walked toward the ship, he was so close to his goal. He ran up to the giant ship and leaped up onto the left wing. As quickly as he could, he ran up to the top. He examined the area carefully, then he found a spot to make his entrance. Steller whipped out his laser cutter and with precision, he cut a hole, big enough for him to slip through in the ceiling.

He dropped into a dark hallway. There was no light and sight and no signs of activity. Steller crept along the hallways and pulled out his silenced 9mm. He searched several rooms, but found nothing. As he crept as quite as a mouse along one hallway, he heard a loud noise.

_Flush!_

A door on the side opened and a young man with blonde hair walked out. Steller froze in position. There was nowhere to hide. He pressed his body against the wall and waited for the man to pass. The man started to walk in his direction. He thought that the man's eyes wandered in his direction, but the man kept on walking. Steller crept silenced and looked at the man's dreary eyes. The man walked by Steller without even noticing him.

Steller quietly followed the man with his pistol at the ready. He could've shot the man at any moment, but he couldn't because he needed to know where the quarters were. He walked a bit closer every few seconds, planning to take the man hostage. He walked along for a few minutes when the man walked into what looked like the bridge area. The lights were on so Steller stopped. The blonde-haired man walked into the bridge and out of sight.

"Hey, Ken-Goh," said the young man.

"Yes, Moondoggie?" answered an older voice.

Steller heard nothing, but whispers. He crept closer to try to detect what they were saying, but all then a man came into view. The man was rather plump and had a long mustache he didn't look at Steller, but turned his head a bit and glanced in his direction. Steller froze as still as a statue. The big man scratched his head and went back to his seat. Steller walked closer, planning to take down the men, but all of a sudden, an alarm sounded and blast doors closed shut in front of the entrance to the bridge.

_God dammit!_ thought Steller, _That fool knew I was following him_.

He thought about the moment that the man's eyes wandered toward him. He cursed again and rushed down the hall as fast a s lightning.

"ALERT! ALERT!" called out Ken-Goh's voice.

Holland jumped up from bed. Talho woke too and rushed to Charles, who was crying.

"THERE IS AN INTRUDER ON THE SHIP! THERE IS AN INTRUDER ABOARD THE SHIP! BE ON YOUR GUARD!"

"What?!" exclaimed Holland, "What the hell is going on?"

He rushed to the closet and pulled out his SMG and armor. He put all of his old SOF gear and rushed into the hall.

"Be careful!" Talho warned him.

Holland was a little confused. There hadn't been an intruder since Charles Beams invaded the Gekko-Go. Who would dare to break into the Gekko-Go and why?

_I hope it's just a false alarm,_ he thought, but something inside him told him that it wasn't.

"What's that?" asked the kids, awake and alarmed.

The droning of an alarm sounded throughout the ship. Eureka sprang up from her sleep and so did Renton.

"An alert?" he said. "What's going on?"

"THERE IS AN INTRUDER ABOARD THE SHIP!" announced the speaker.

Renton looked at Eureka and he could tell by her wide eyes, that she was afraid. There hadn't been an intruder on the Gekko-Go (as far as Renton knew) since Charles and Rei broke in. Something was definitely wrong.

The kids started to panic. Renton hopped out of bed to see what was going on. The door opened and Renton staggered back. Hilda entered holding a stack of bullet-proof vests.

"Alright," she said, "put them on."

Renton just grabbed the stack and put a vest on. He gave the rest to Eureka who started to hastily put them onto the kids. Linck was crying, Maeter had wide eyes, and Maurice looked as if he was trying to hold in his fear.

"Hear," said Hilda, handing Renton a pistol, "use it when necessary. Someone's onboard, but we don't know who. If you see someone you don't know just come up and attack you, shoot him down."

She was holding an SMG in her hand and wearing a bullet-proof vest herself.

"Holland wants you guys to get down into the brig, for safety."

"Alright," said Renton.

Everything was happening so fast. He felt his head spin a little. What was going on? He didn't expect something so dangerous to happen so soon.

They started to run down the halls. All the lights were off except a flashing red alarm light. Hilda would press against the wall and look before they turned a corner. Renton thought he saw someone rush by when he looked down one of the halls.

Hilda signaled for them to stop as they entered the hallway to the brig. She held her gun in front of her and cautiously advanced forward down the hall. Renton turned to look at Eureka. She had a very worried look in her eyes as if she were going to cry, but there were no tears. He didn't like the look. It brought back horrible memories. The kids had the same look.

"Everything will be alright," he told them.

Of course, he had no idea what he was saying. Something caught his gaze. Far down the hall behind them was a figure. Because it was dark, Renton couldn't see who it was. The figure was all black and carrying something long in their hands. Renton stared for a minute before Hilda called to him.

"Don't stop! Let's go."

Renton let Eureka and the kids go ahead of him as they walked along. He got them into the brig cell first before looking back. Nothing…the figure was gone or he couldn't seem them. Hilda pushed Renton inside.

"Okay," she said, "we're going to look to see what the problem is while you stay here. I'm going to close this door and lock it so that you're safe inside. Everything will be over soon…hopefully."

With that, Hilda closed the door shut. Renton, Eureka, and the kids sat silently in the darkness. Linck started to cry again and Eureka tried to comfort him. Renton stared at the pistol that lay in his hand.

"I will protect you," he said bravely.

Renton looked at Eureka in the dark. She looked so sad as well as afraid. She held the children tightly to her and closed her eyes. Renton would have done anything to make her smile, but he knew that he couldn't. They sat in silence and listened as the alarm droned on. Then, the drone stopped.

"What happened?" asked Maurice.

"Maybe," said Eureka, "maybe they found the intruder or found that it was a false alarm."

"Maybe," said Renton, but he still felt something wrong. He passed around a bit thinking about what could've happened.

"Renton, please sit down," Eureka told him.

He sighed and sat down with the kids, trying to calm down. He wrapped an arm around Eureka and she leaned her head against him.

"It should all be over soon," he said.

Then, they heard footsteps in the silence. The footsteps were very quite as if somewhere was trying not to be detected, but Renton could here them through the absence of sound.

_Thud! Thud! Thud!_

It grew closer and whoever was there was right in front of the rig door.

"What was that?" asked Maeter quietly and worriedly.

"Shhhh. Listen," Eureka said.

It stayed quite for a few seconds then all of a sudden, a bright red light shot through the metal door. The laser light started to circle around the shape of the door as if it were cutting through. Someone was trying to get in.

"Get back!" said Renton.

Eureka and the kids rushed to the corner and closed their eyes. Renton aimed the gun at the door. Whatever was coming through, he wouldn't let them do any harm to Eureka or the kids. He had to protect them. He was extremely afraid, but he was prepared for whatever danger awaited him behind the door. Then, the laser was three-fourths finished cutting when it stopped. There was a burst of gunfire and the sound of bullets deflecting off of metal. The crisis was only starting…

Holland ran down the hall. He had been patrolling a few of the corridors when the alarmed stopped, someone had cut the power. He had ran to see if Eureka and Renton were in the brig and saw a strange figure cutting his way through the door. He had fired several rounds, but seemed to miss. The enemy fled faster than Holland could see. Now, he was in the hall, checking on Renton and Eureka.

He carefully looked down the hall then unlocked the brig door with his gun still pointed down the hallway. He tried to open the door, but it wouldn't budge, due to whatever damage the intruder caused. Holland banged against the door then kicked it and it fell into the room.

He leaped into the cell and a shot fired at the wall next to him. He looked to see Renton holding a gun standing in front of Eureka and the three kids.

"Hey," Holland said, "careful with that thing! Are you alright?"

Renton sat down relieved.

"Sorry," he said, "yes, we're alright. Who was that trying to break in?"

"I don't know exactly," said Holland, "but they're obviously our intruder. Let's just hope there's only one of him."

The thought of a team of intruders started to flow in his conscience. That would make the situation more dangerous. He took the door and threw it back up into the hallway. He then climbed up to leave.

"I'll come back later," he told them, "once I get this intruder."

He slammed the broken door in place and left. He only hoped that Renton would be able to keep Eureka and the kids safe.

Holland walked along the dark hall and searched for signs of the enemy. The memories of his SOF days came back and so did the memories of his fight with Charles. He sighed and walked along.

Right as he turned the corner a foot kicked the gun out of his hands. He turned to see a dark figure slash a knife at him. He tried to evade the attack, but received a painful cut on his left arm. Gloved hands gripped him like iron. He was slammed against the wall and he tried to kick at the attacker. The attacker's gasmask face drew closer to his and so did the knife. Holland kicked the attacker in several places, but some sort of armor was protecting him.

He couldn't escape. The attacker had a firm grip on him and his gun lay on the floor, out of his reach. The attacker held the knife up to Holland's throat. He could feel the cold, steel blade press against his skin. Holland then grabbed something from the attacker's belt. He pressed the button on it and a red laser shot out and hit the attacker. He was released and the enemy staggered back.

"You, bastard!" said Holland as he grabbed the SMG off the floor and aimed it at the man. He had him. Holland grinned a bit as he took a step forward. The man didn't back off, instead he slowly pulled out a pistol and pointed it in Holland's face.

_What? _Holland thought.

He then pulled the trigger.

_Click!_

Holland looked to see the clip missing from the gun.

_Dammit! He's good!_ Holland thought.

With the pistol in his face, Holland was forced to drop his gun and put his hands up. He was devastated. There was nothing he could do, but wait to see what the man would do to him. He looked down at the floor. He knew that the man would shoot him and it would all be over. He thought about Eureka and Renton, would they be safe?

For some reason, the man hesitated to kill him. Holland looked up. The pistol was still in his face, but the man didn't even twitch.

"Drop it!" said a voice.

Immediately, the man in the gasmask dropped the pistol which clattered on the floor. Holland leaned to see who was there. Surprisingly, Talho was standing directly behind the man with an assault rifle pointed at the back of his head.

"Talho," said Holland, "what are you…You're supposed to-"

"Don't worry," she told him calmly, "Charles is safe with Gidget and Moondoggie. I knew you'd be in a pinch so I came to look for you, Holland. Looks like I came at the right time."

"Yes, you did," said Holland.

Holland picked up the silenced pistol off the ground and pointed it at the man in black.

"Alright," he said, "we'll take you to the hanger for some _friendly _interrogation."

They walked down the hallways in the dark. Talho walked behind steadily behind their captive with her rifle still pointed at his head. Holland walked in front, but glanced back every so often at the man who had his hands up and seldom spoke.

They walked onward for a few minutes when they turned a corner and Holland received a heavy blow from behind. He turned to see their hostage flip and kick the gun out of Talho's hands and slam her against the wall. The man grabbed the rifle and pointed it at Holland. The man pulled the trigger.

_Click! Click!_

"Safety's on," said Talho as she looked at Holland.

The man looked down at the gun as Holland fired at him. Holland unloaded the whole clip onto the man without hesitation. The man's body fell to the floor and didn't move. Talho stood and looked down at the body.

"You overdid it," she said. "We needed him."

"Sorry," said Holland even though he wasn't really sorrowful.

He wasn't over and looked at the body.

"I guess we won't need to worry about him now," he said.

"But we don't know his objectives," added Talho.

Holland bent down to remove the gasmask when, randomly, the man hopped back up on his hands, spun his legs like a propeller and kicked Holland and Talho to the side.

"What the hell?!" yelled Holland.

He grabbed the rifle off the ground, but the enemy was already gone.

"Shit!"

"He must've been wearing a bullet-proof vest!" Talho said.

"But I shot him in the head!"

Holland didn't know what the enemy's mission, but he did know one thing, the man was very, very dangerous.

"It's been quite a while," said Renton as he sat next to Eureka with his leg bobbing up and down.

Eureka knew that Renton was growing nervous and impatient, but she said nothing. The feeling of fear was overwhelming her. She feared for the kids, for Renton, for herself, and for all the other Gekkostate members. There was definitely an intruder on the ship, but nothing else was known. Eureka held the kids close to her. Maurice kept silent with a worried look, Maeter sniffed a bit, and Linck had cried himself to sleep.

"It will all be over soon," Renton said again, trying to comfort them.

Eureka paid little attention. Her head was spinning. She kept thinking about what could happen to them. All the thoughts that came were bad. Eureka closed her eyes and tried not to think about it. Her hands were a little shaky from the fear.

_Why did something bad have to happen so soon? _Eureka thought, _Why did something like this have to happen at all? Why?_

She would've asked Renton, but she knew that he couldn't answer.

"What…What now?" she asked.

Renton thought for moment. Then he stood and walked to the exit.

"Stay here, I'm going to see what happened," he told her.

"What?" she said, "You can't! Renton, please don't!"

"Eureka," he told her, "please, stay here and wait. I won't be long."

"What if-"

"I'm going only for a short bit."

Eureka wanted to protest, but knew that it would be useless. She felt a tear drop from her eye as she thought about finding Renton dead. Before Renton exited, he paused and turned toward Eureka. He walked up to her and kissed her. After that he wiped away her tears.

"Please come back," she pleaded desperately.

"Of course I will," he said softly. "Don't worry."

He left the cell and made sure to put the door back in place. The children kept silent. Eureka leaned against the wall and listened into the darkness with her eyes wide open. The sound of Renton's feet slowly faded away.

Renton walked down the hallway, making sure to remember which turns he made. He had nothing to use as a light, but he had grown accustomed to the darkness. He tried not to think about the worried look on Eureka's face. He didn't know exactly why he decided to go out and look for help. Maybe it was for her.

After a short while, Renton heard footsteps coming in his direction at a rapid pace. It seemed like two or more people. Renton aimed his gun in the direction and was relieved when Holland and Talho appeared around the corner.

"Holland!" he called out.

"Renton?" asked Holland, "What are you doing? Where's Eureka? Is everything alright?"

"I came to see what had happened," he told him, "Did you catch the intruder?"

"Yes," answered Talho, "but…he's too strong, we lost him. Where's Eureka?"

"Back in the brig."

"What? You just left her?" asked Holland furiously. "Idiot, you were supposed to protect her! She's vulnerable!"

Holland pushed Renton out of the way and started to rush toward the brig with Talho behind him.

"Holland!" called Renton, "wait up!"

Eureka still stared blankly into the darkness. She was still thinking about Renton. It may have only been a few minutes, but it seemed like a long time since Renton left. She needed him.

"Mama," said Maeter.

"Yes?"

"When's Renton going to get back?"

"I-I don't know."

She sat there silently for I while then sprung up.

"Mama, what are you doing?" asked Maurice.

"I'm going to look for Renton."

She couldn't take it anymore. She wanted to with Renton. She wasn't thinking about the kids. The thought of finding Renton's body popped into her mind again. Maurice and Maeter said a few things, but she didn't listen. She exited the cell and put the door in place. She found herself in a very dark corridor. She started to walk, when she paused. A strange feeling flowed into her body like electricity. She felt as if someone was near. She felt a presence, but she heard nothing.

Someone or something was behind her. She closed her eyes and tried to step forward, but then heard a clicking noise and felt something cold and hard press against the back of her neck; it was the barrel of a gun. She froze and opened her eyes. Her hands began to shake a little.

"Gotcha," said a cold voice.

There was a blowing sound and she felt something pierce the back of her neck. She all of a sudden felt extremely drowsy and fell to the floor. All went blank…

Chapter 9: Body Crumbles

_Beep…beep…beep…_

Eureka slowly opened her eyes. The noise, it was so familiar. Through her half-opened eyes, she could see a glowing green line that went up and down every few seconds. She knew where she was, a hospital room.

Eureka thought for a moment. All she could remember was that something bad had happened on the Gekko-Go. Then, she remembered the words "Gotcha." And the gun pressed against her neck. Then, she suddenly noticed the horrible smell that filled the room. It was a smell that Eureka remembered, far back, long ago. It was a smell that seemed like poison, bringing back bad memories, it was the smell of death.

Eureka shot bolt upright with her eyes wide open. She scanned the room, but saw nothing in the dim, flickering light. Then, as her eyes grew accustomed to the darkness, she saw something so nightmarish that she wished she hadn't woken.

Death, the room was filled with it. She was in some sort of operation room. The walls were stained with blood and the blood was smeared as if something blood-soaked was wiped across it. The floor was covered in blood, broken glass, and tools. Dead bodies were all over the room. Most of them were dressed in white medical coats and a couple were in some sort of security uniform. One body was smashed into the wall and another was skewered with medical utensils. It was so horrible. Eureka wanted to close her eyes, but she couldn't. The image burned into her brain like a hot wax stamp.

_What's going on?_ She thought, _Where am I? What happened?_

The bodies were mutilated and thrown across the room. All the medical equipment was smashed. Eureka couldn't take it. She had to leave. She threw off the blanket and got out of the gurney. She found that she was wearing a white operation gown that was stained red in some places. Their organs and limbs lay spread across the floor. More haunting thoughts filled her mind.

A tingling sensation zoomed through her body as she set her cold feet on the floor. The floor was warm and wet with blood. She tried not to step on any broken glass or bent tools. With each step, she started to shiver more and more. Eureka almost tripped over a disembodied arm that lay crooked on the floor. The light overhead flickered which gave the whole seen more of an eerie feel. Eureka tried to close her eyes, but the thought of the dead bodies kept them wide open. She tried not to think about the blood on the floor or the headless body near the doorway that she walked through. The graphic sight still singed in her brain.

As she walked to the closed door down the short hallway, something dripped onto her shoulder and made her skin tingle. She began to shiver even more as she looked at the red spot on the gown.

_Don't look up,_ she thought,_ Don't look up_.

She tried desperately to keep her body moving towards the exit, but her head automatically tilted upward as if it was being control. Above her, she saw something even more horrible and grotesque. On the ceiling was the body of a man dressed in a dark blue security outfit. He was bolted to the ceiling with what looked like a chair leg. The metal leg was entirely soaked and dripping with blood as it stuck out of his stomach. The man just hung there with his arms sticking out in awkward positions and a bent gun hanging on a shoulder strap. His eyes just stared lifelessly at the floor, but his facial expression showed that he had suffered much pain and fear before he died.

There was a burst of light and an electric shocking sound that made Eureka slip and fall onto the bloody floor. The man's body was apparently smashed into an overhead lamp. Eureka quickly got herself to her feet with her arm covered in blood from the floor. Fear overwhelmed her more then ever. She wanted to scream, but she found no voice. She wanted to think, but nothing came to mind except the word "Run".

So that is what Eureka did, she ran. She ran through the doors and found herself in a strange dark hallway. She ran through the labyrinth of halls and doors, but saw no light. Once, she thought she saw a light switch on from one of the windows on one of the doors, but she dared not turn back. She ran on for what seemed like a very long time, her fear fueling her energy. The thought of what other horrors she could find was unbearable. She just kept running then finally found an overhead sign reading "Exit" glowing green letters. She walked toward the door.

"EMERGENCY EXIT-If door is opened, emergency alarm will sound," read the sign.

Eureka paid little attention to the words. She walked closer and closer to the door, but with each step, she grew weaker and weaker. She finally reached the door and pushed. Immediately, an alarm sounded. Eureka couldn't see what was beyond the door because she collapsed onto the floor and all went blank.

Eureka found herself lying in a pool of water. For a second, she felt as though she couldn't remember. She couldn't remember her name, her life, her purpose, or why she was even there. One by one, the memories came back, but she still didn't know where she was. She lifted herself off the ground and found that she was nowhere. She was just sitting idly in a giant space of nothing, but darkness. She quickly got to her feet and looked for anything. Nothing… There was no light, but she could still see herself as clear as day. She walked forward and found nothing. Then saw something in the distance. She walked closer to see that it was a door. The door lead to nothing or at least, there was nothing behind it or connected to it.

Eureka walked forward and reached out her hand, but drew back as the door shook. She stared at it for a moment and then saw liquid pour slowly out from underneath it. The liquid was sickly red, blood. She started to back away as the blood drew closer and closer to her. Then she ran as fast as she could as the flood of red followed her as if it were chasing her.

She ran and ran, fear and mystery filling her head. She ran faster, but bumped into something hard. She fell to the cold ground and looked back. The blood was gone. Relieved, she looked to see what she had bumped into. Her eyes widened as she realized what it was. It was Renton. Renton just stood there and stared blankly into the distance.

"Renton!" she called.

He didn't respond. She wasn't sure if she was relieved or afraid. She sat up and stared at him. He still ceased to move. She felt a rush of fear fill her body. Was Renton dead? She walked closer to him and put her hand on his shoulder. His shoulder was cold. She then jolted back as she saw something strange happen. Renton's head started to crumble. Slowly, the rest of Renton's body crumbled as if it were made of sand. Eureka watched in horror as the small fragments made a pile on the ground and an unknown wind blew the dust away.

Eureka tried to say something, but her voice was still lost. She then felt herself fall to the floor. She tried to move, but couldn't feel her body. She started breathing heavily and watched as her body crumbled to pieces just like Renton's…

Chapter 10: Thought

_Beep…Beep…Beep…_

Eureka slowly opened her eyes. The noise, it was so familiar. Visions of mutilated bodies and blood rushed through her mind. Eureka bolted into an upright position. She looked around She was in a hospital room, but it was one that she was familiar with, aboard the Gekko-Go. She breathed heavily, but she soon calmed down. Everything was alright. She sighed and slowly lied back down.

_It was just a bad dream, _she thought.

Then she pondered about how she got into the hospital. She remembered the mysterious voice behind her and her sudden collapse. She wondered if the intruder was ever caught. She shivered a bit.

Eureka felt suddenly tired and closed her eyes. She was conscience, but not exactly awake. She heard the door open and a group of people walk in.

"When's Mama going to wake?" asked Linck's voice rather loudly.

"Shhh," shushed Renton's voice.

"Oh," said Linck, "When's Mama going to wake?" he said more softly.

"I don't know, answered Renton.

"I wonder what happened to her," said Maurice.

Eureka finally found the strength to call something out.

"Ren-ton," she said slowly.

"Huh?" said Renton.

She heard him rush to her side.

"Eureka, are you awake?" he asked.

Eureka finally opened her eyes and stared at him. He was the same. Nothing was wrong except that he was extremely worried. Everything was alright.

"Mama's awake!" said Maeter and they rushed to the bedside.

"I'm so glad that you're okay," said Renton caringly.

"I…" said Eureka, "I had a horrible nightmare."

"What was it about?" asked Renton with a concerned look.

"I was in a hospital…and…and it was all covered in blood…I tried to run, but when I got to the exit, I found you…you fell apart…I fell apart…does this mean anything?"

Renton looked more concerned and a little sick when he heard the words. Eureka stretched out her hand and put it on Renton's cheek. It was warm and it did not crumble. She smiled a bit and Renton smiled back.

"Well," he said, "we're all glad that you're awake and well. That was only a dream."

"What happened?" asked Eureka slowly.

"Oh," said Renton looking down a little, "the intruder…he got to you…it was my fault. When I left, he took you. We looked everywhere for you, all over the ship, but it was night and it was hard to see. The intruder had done damage to the ship's inter connections and its communications so we couldn't contact anyone. We sent out the 606 and the 808 and after quite a while, we finally found you."

"Where…where was I?"

"A police officer flagged down the 606. Apparently, the officer had found you in the middle of the road a couple of miles away from the ship. You were unconscious."

"I…don't remember him…I don't remember going anywhere."

"Then maybe he let you go for whatever reason…I'd kill him for harming you. Though you were a bit far out there and there were no signs of the guy."

"Wait," Eureka said. "I do remember something…I went through a door…I was outside…running."

She touched her forehead.

"Then you escaped?" Renton asked.

"I don't know…"

"Well, I'm glad you're okay."

Renton grasped Eureka's hand then kissed her. She knew that he must've gone crazy with worry when they couldn't find her, but Eureka wondered what the intruder wanted her for. As she lay there in silence, Holland and Mischa entered the room.

"Oh, she's awake," said Mischa calmly.

"Eureka," said Holland, surprised.

He rushed to the bedside and looked down at her.

"Are you feeling well?" he asked.

"I'm okay…" she answered softly.

"I'm sorry," he said, "I couldn't kill the intruder, your attack. That bast-guy got away and we couldn't find him again. You were gone for quite some time so we thought he had taken you somewhere far away. Though…we're glad to have found you. Hmm…something about you is different."

Holland looked up at the ceiling and had a slightly angry look on his face. She knew that he was thinking about the incident on the ship. Eureka held his hand and he looked down at her again.

"Everything is alright now, Holland," she said, smiling.

"Should I tell everyone that she's awake?" asked Maurice.

"No, give Eureka some rest," Renton told him.

Eureka laid in the bed a few minutes longer. Holland went over and started whispering with Mischa. Eureka didn't pay much attention to them. She concentrated most of her attention towards Renton who was explaining how they looked for her and what they went through. Eureka was so happy to be out of that nightmare she just had. She was so glad to see Renton's happy face and the children's smiles after the incident. Everything was going to be alright…

"Um…" started Mischa, "There's something we want to show you, Eureka…this may be quite disturbing to you. Maybe the children should leave."

"I think they can handle it," said Holland.

Mischa sighed and picked something off the table. The room was quiet and everyone's attention was toward Mischa. She held in her hands, a white cloth. She then lifted it and let it hang down to show what it was.

Eureka's eyes widened at what it was. In Mischa's hands was a white gown, a hospital gown. The scary part was, it was stained with blood. Horrible visions flashed in Eureka's mind. She shut hers and opened them again to see if what she saw was real. It was real.

"Where…" Eureka started.

The room was still silent.

"You were wearing this when the officer found you," said Mischa. "We checked and found no wounds on you. The blood is not yours. Someone had to have put this on you wherever you were taken."

Eureka shivered a more and Renton held her shoulder. Renton's mouth opened, but he said nothing. Eureka had an eerie feeling consuming her. Something really was wrong.

"No," said Holland, "it was quite a while we found her. I have no idea where she could've been taken. The police have started an investigation, but I made them swear that it wouldn't go to the public."

"It took us around six hours to find her," said Mischa. "There is a possibility that she was taken to a facility nearby, but nothing has been confirmed. She was quite a bit far from the Gekko-Go."

"Do you remember anything at all?" asked Holland. "Anything about being taken anywhere? Any visions? Do you remember what happened to you."

Eureka pondered for a moment, but only the thought of Renton crumbling and the blood appeared. The rest was blank.

"I remember running then feeling very, very tired…other than that…can't remember…" she said slowly.

Holland banged his fist on the wall and had an angry face. Obviously he knew something was wrong. Eureka looked at Renton to see his face filled with a lot worry and the children were filled with fear. Eureka couldn't take it. She lifted up the covers and stood. She was about to walk to leave the room, but she felt something. She felt…different. There was something different that she couldn't quite explain. She walked forward and realized something was wrong.

"Mama," said Maeter with fright in her eyes, "your pretty wings are…gone."

"What?!" exclaimed Eureka she turned to see nothing behind her shoulder. Her wings were definitely gone.

"I…I hadn't noticed," said Renton.

"The shiny thing on her forehead is gone too," said Linck.

Eureka felt her face and realized that he was right. She started to panic.

_No,_ she thought, _It was all just a dream! _

"I was going to tell you about that," said Mischa glumly. "We may have to run a few tests to see if anything's wrong with you."

Eureka fell on the bed and stared up at the ceiling. Everything wasn't alright…

"Just another day," said Dominic after a long yawn.

He looked at his broken arm as he sat down eating breakfast. He still wished there was something that would make him better. He hadn't slept easily. Thoughts of the mysterious gasmask man kept coming to surface in his mind as if the man was following him. He sat there in thought. Anemone must have sensed his feelings.

"Will you stop thinking about your SOF business," she said, a little frustrated, "and stop it with the sad looks. You should be glad _I'm_ paying the bill this time."

They were sitting in a small restaurant called _Daddy's_. Anemone wanted to spend more time with him so they decided to eat out for breakfast. Dominic stared at the big plate of pancakes, sausages, eggs, and bread. The wonderful smell rushed into his nostrils. It looked fabulous, but for some reason, Dominic wasn't too hungry.

"Smells delicious," said Anemone, trying to get Dominic's attention as he thought.

"Yeah," said Dominic quietly, "it smells like heaven…not that I want to know what that smells like…yet."

"What?" said Anemone.

"Huh…What?" said Dominic.

"You said something about heaven."

"Oh…nevermind."

"You're acting weird lately and I don't like it."

Anemone stared at him with a concerned look. She hadn't touched her food either. Dominic faked a smile to her, but she didn't accept it.

"Please don't smother yourself with all these thoughts," she said calmingly.

"Then…" he said, "then let's talk about something else."

She eyed him carefully then took a small bite out of a sausage.

"Do you know anything else about Eureka and Renton?" she asked curiously.

"They are said to be on the Gekko-Go. The Gekko-Go has been seen over several cities and…"

Dominic paused as the thought came back into his mind.

"And?"

"Everywhere the Gekko-Go was seen, a strange man was seen. The man wore a hood and some say he had a gasmask on…Bad things happen in every city or town he's spotted in. Some say he had been following the Gekko-Go for three days. The Gekko-Go hasn't shown up for a while now…"

"Please," complained Anemone, "let's stop talking about bad things or suspicions."

"Alright."

Anemone started to chat on about something she had seen on TV, but Dominic barely listened. The vision of a gasmask flooded his mind like locus. Something was wrong. He could feel it.

"I…I have some good and bad news, sir," Hyde said as he walked into the office.

Arner looked up from the book he was reading.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Well, answered Hyde, "I tried to tell you as soon as possible, but there were things that got in the way. Steller retrieved the Key last night and I ordered him to take it to Krieger's station. It was our closest station to where she was retrieved. Once we got our hands on it, we worked immediately."

"Good," said Arner, "So is it done? Can I see her?"

"That's the bad news."

"Hmmm…there's always bad news."

"Well, apparently, the Key got away. I ordered Krieger to get his men started on the operation before I arrived. The surgeons were operating on it and they injected it with Formula Eight, but…the power…the affect was unstable. The Key killed seven surgeons and three guards. Quite a mess…Krieger is currently cleaning up."

"So she killed a few of our workers and…you let her get away?"

"There was no one else on guard in that zone. All the doors were secure except the emergency exit which she used."

"Why didn't you order her to be brought here?"

"I would've, but it would be risky. Our headquarters could've been discovered and Krieger's lab was only a few miles from Gekkostates position. We needed an immediate operation."

"And you didn't inform me earlier?" Arner asked suspiciously.

"I would've, but a few things got in the way."

Arner's feeling of suspicion grew.

"Was she pursued?" he asked.

"It took Krieger a while before understood the scenario. By the time the Key's disappearance was discovered, it was already far from the Krieger's grounds. We have everything on video from the moment the operation began until the Key left corporation grounds. We sent LFOs after her, but evidently it was running faster than we could pursue…the effect of the injection."

"So she ran away…:

"Yes, sir."

Arner sighed and sat back in his chair. He knew there was going to be a problem.

"Do we have a way of finding her? She's most likely with Gekkostate, but they most likely have left the area they were in."

Hyde chuckled a bit.

"I know you meant not to offend me, sir, but that insults my preparedness. You know that I am always ready for everything possible."

Hyde reached into his lab coat and pulled out a small electronic pad. He handed it to Arner who studied it with curiosity. The pad showed a screen with a map on it. Near the northeast was a blinking red dot.

"I was prepared for any rescue or escape of the Key," said Hyde. "I placed a tracking device in its body. It is well concealed and undetectable. I can track its exact location no matter where on this planet it may be. Would you like me to call upon Hawk? The improved Type Six OBLITERATORs should be capable of taking down the Gekko in the blink of an eye."

Arner grinned as he looked at the blinking light.

"Well, if we know where she is, we won't need to worry about retrieving her yet…I would like to see what troubles this Formula Eight will cause them…"

Chapter 11: Back Again

"Is Mama gonna be alright?" asked Linck curiously.

They were sitting in the lounge room once again. Everything hadn't gone too well. Eureka was still very shocked about what had happened. Evidently she had memory of a place, but it was hard for her to remember. When they talked about it to the rest of Gekkostate, they were a bit shocked that Eureka had lost her wings, but everyone was soon trying to get over the matter. Everyone was just glad that Eureka was alright even though the intruder had escaped. They barely even noticed because they were so used to Eureka without wings. Eureka had acted very emotion for the past few hours. She had barely talked and she would just lay down in bed, wide awake and in thought.

Renton felt a little hopeless. He didn't know what to do for her. She was currently with Mischa running some tests. Everything was so confusing. Renton was just trying to relax. They had only just returned a few days ago.

"Hey," said Linck, "Renton, do you think Mama will be alright?"

"Yeah…she's just a little shocked right now…" answered Renton.

"Die!" said Maurice.

He and Maeter were playing on some video game station that Matthieu and Moondoggie had bought.

"Aww…" said Maeter. "Let's play something else, I don't like this game. You keep getting me with that stupid LFO."

Renton got up and went to the door.

"I'm just going to go check on everyone," he told them.

"Okay," said Maurice, not really paying attention.

Renton walked down the hall and tried to find someone he could talk to. Most of the crew was doing repairs. The intruder had damage parts of the ship and they were still trying to fix and even detect some of the problems. Renton walked down the hall and found the door to Holland's room ajar. He looked around then slowly started to enter the room.

The stereo was playing at a rather loud volume and a techno beat just played out of the speakers. Holland was sitting on the bed, cleaning a large assault rifle. Sprawled on the floor were body armor and more battle apparel.

"What are you doing?" asked Renton as he entered.

"Getting ready," said Holland, not looking up from what he was doing.

"Ready for what?"

"That scum is probably going to come back sometime soon and when he does…I'll be prepared."

"Was he hard to take down?"

"I shot him in the head with his own gun and he jumped back up. Yes, I'm sure he's pretty good."

"What are you going to use?"

"Armor-piercing bullets, I always use armor-piercing bullets, but this is the good stuff."

Holland held up a large box of bullets.

"I've been saving these and I think I've finally found someone worth shooting with them."

"Um….alright."

Renton left the room without another word.

_Maybe Holland is a little over his head,_ Renton thought.

Everything was getting confusing indeed.

_Ring! Ring! Ring!_

Dominic grabbed his phone from his pocket as he and Anemone walked downtown.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Captain, it's Seizo."

"Uh, what is it?"

"I think we've found a way to get you back in action."

"What? You have?"

"Yeah, just stop by the HQ real quick and you'll see."

Seizo hung up and Dominic paused for a second.

"Who was that?" asked Anemone.

"I have to go to HQ real quick," he told her.

The thought of the man in the gasmask still haunted his mind. He would do anything to try to find the man again and bring him down. Dominic didn't know why he felt this way. He thought it was probably because he felt responsible for the deaths of his comrades and the failure of the mission.

"Go shopping," he told her.

Anemone gave him an angry look.

"No," she protested. "All you ever do is worry about your job. You never really seem like you want to be with me. Ever since you became captain and went on that stupid mission, you've changed."

"It's not stupid! My comrades died during that mission! I almost died!"

"Th-that's why!" Anemone said.

A few people passing by looked at them.

"What?" he asked more calmly.

"That's why I don't want you to think about your job anymore. If you just keep pushing yourself to do these dangerous things, you'll die. I just can't take it anymore!"

Tears began to form in Anemone's eyes. Dominic held her tightly to him and tried to calm her down.

"Anemone…I'm sorry…Seizo told me that he get me back in action, but I don't think it's anything too dangerous because of this broken arm. Let me just go…I promise this will be the last time I'll leave when we're spending time together."

"You better keep that promise…"

"Don't worry, I will."

"Well," said Mischa, "The tests are over and I've found nothing wrong with you."

"Are you sure?" asked Eureka.

"If there is something wrong, it's definitely not detectable," Mischa told her. "Though, I still have a feeling that something happened to you. Your wings, they weren't cut off or removed by any physical harm. They just…fell off the same way hair or skin would fall off the body. Though being very large, I would have expected the wings to take more time to fall, but something caused it to weaken."

Eureka was still confused. Her head was still spinning and unanswered questions filled her mind. What exactly was the memory she had of the bloody hospital? Was it a dream or was it real? Why were the people dead? She had so many questions. It was hard for her to think of anything else. She seemed depressed at times. She hadn't smiled in a while, even when the children tried to cheer her up. She had just lied down and thought. She couldn't sleep.

"This is a very strange situation," said Mischa.

"Yes…" added Eureka.

"There will be an investigation as to the intruder soon enough. The communications are back up, but Holland doesn't want to contact the Federation. He's acting awfully strange lately. Well, we'll do more investigation on your case also, but for now, go do something to entertain yourself. Wipe that glum look off you face too. Renton's probably worried about you."

"Yes, he is."

"Why don't you go see him?"

Eureka nodded and left the room. She walked down the hall. She wanted to see Renton, but she just didn't know what to say to him or what to do with him to make her feel happy. She felt very sad. The horrible dream still lingered in her thoughts.

_Did Renton's crumbling body mean anything?_ She thought as she lied down on the bed. She just stared at the ceiling and tried to get some rest, but couldn't sleep. What was wrong? She got up and went to find a better place to ponder.

"Glad to see you again," said Seizo as Dominic entered. "You took quite a while."

"I can't drive with one arm so I took a cab. It was hard getting the cab driver to get here," Dominic told him, rather frustrated.

"Oh, sorry about that…you know, you could've asked us to pick you up…"

"Ugh…maybe if you offered in the first…Can we get to the point? You said you had something for me."

"We have something that may heal your arm faster, much faster."

Seizo opened the door and a man in a lab coat walked in. He had small glasses and grayish-black hair.

"Hello, Captain Dominic Sorel," he greeted, "I am Dr. Enson. I work at the Tresor Research Institute and we have something that might help you."

"What is it?" asked Dominic curiously.

"Lately," continued Dr. Enson, "we have been studying different formula plans from a former top scientist. We have been testing a few of his formulas and we have finally got one that works."

Enson reached into his coat and pulled out a small vile with bright purple liquid inside it.

"This is Formula Three. We have tested it and it has proved to have high healing capabilities. We have experimented on minor wounds and it has functioned properly, but we wanted to test it on someone with a larger injury. I was working in the area and my friend Seizo here informed me that you, his captain, had a broken arm and was hoping to get it mended so I agreed to come here and help you. Of course, we have never tried the formula on broken limbs before so if you're willing to try it…"

Dominic hesitated for a few seconds.

"Are there any side affects?" he asked anxiously. "What will happen if it fails?"

"There are no known side-effects," Enson told him. "If it fails, nothing will happen, but so far, the final formula hasn't failed. Since your injury is quite large, it may take a day or so for it to heal. You have nothing to loose and a lot to gain."

"I'll give it a shot," Dominic said.

"Yes," said Enson, "and a shot it will be."

Enson opened up a briefcase and pulled out a syringe. He put the vile of the formula into the syringe and the held out his hand.

"Give more your arm," he said to Dominic.

Dominic stared for a moment then looked at Seizo, who nodded. Dominic let the scientist hold his arm and inject the needle into his arm. He felt a slight sting and watched as the vile gradually emptied.

"Well, there we go," said Enson pulling the needle out. "You're all set. We may have to wait a bit for the affect, but inform me with the results. If you're healed, that should get you back on track with your missions. I must depart now so I hope for hearing from you."

Dr. Enson gave Dominic a grin and left the room. Dominic stared down at his arm and wondered if the formula would actually work.

"Do you think it'll work?" he asked Seizo.

"Maybe," Seizo answered.

"Well, I got to get back to Anemone so I'll call you if it works."

"I'll drop you off."

"Okay, thanks."

"I did as you told me, sir, but it is a shame that she escaped," Steller said as he stood in front of Arner's desk.

"It's fine," said Arner. "You did well. You were able to get her here in about an hour and the operation was completed. It's quite amazing what Hyde's formula can do…quite frightening as well."

"Yes, sir. The Gekko-Go is near. I know its location. I disabled their communications and computers so they should be stationary for the time being. Would you like for me to retrieve her once again?"

"No, I want to wait a bit, but I want you to follow them and keep track of all that happens."

"Yes, sir."

"You may leave now."

Steller exited the room and walked down the hall. He wasn't exactly sure of Arner's plans. He didn't even know about the formula or what the plan was for the girl, Eureka. He found pleasure in infiltrating the Gekko-Go. Gekkostate's "Fearless Leader" was nothing much. He wished to fight once more, but his orders were to only follow Gekkostate.

He went into the garage and hanger area where he got to his stealth bike. He closed the hatch as he got inside. The garage door opened and he drove out. After leaving corporation grounds, he activated the boost and headed full speed toward the area near the Gekko-Go. He would gladly have captured Eureka once again, but more so…he would gladly have made her suffer…

Renton went to see if Eureka was done with the testing. He didn't know how he could cheer her up, but he knew that he had to. Obviously, something was wrong with her. Renton walked into the medical room to find no one there. He started to walk down the hall and ran into Mischa.

"Oh," he said, "where's Eureka?"

"I thought she went to find you," she told him. "Maybe she's in her room."

Renton walked down the hall to the sleeping quarters. He started to walk briskly and felt a little bit of worry in the back of his mind. He finally got to the room and was greeted by no one once again. Renton quickly got to the lounge and found Maurice, Maeter, Linck, Matthieu, and Moondoggie. Maeter and Linck were on the couch, drawing and Maurice was still playing a video game with Matthieu and Moondoggie.

"Aww," said Matthieu, "I can't believe I'm being beaten by a kid."

"I'm not that good," said Maurice, "It's just that you suck."

"You're not getting me with that sniper again," said Moondoggie.

"Hey," said Renton, "have any of you seen Eureka?"

"Is Mama done with her testing thingies?" asked Linck.

"Haven't seen her in a while," said Matthieu.

"She might be with Holland," added Moondoggie. "You got me with a plasma again!"

"Mama is probably not feeling too well," said Linck.

"When you get Mama," said Maeter, "bring her here so we can show her our pictures."

Maeter held up a child-drawn (poorly drawn) picture of Renton, Eureka, Grandpa, and the three kids standing in front of the ocean.

"Okay," said Renton, "whatever."

Renton left the room and headed down to Holland's room. He entered to find Holland staring at a row of guns on the floor. There were many different types of guns in many sizes and shapes.

"What…what are you doing?" asked Renton, a little shocked.

"I'm going to make sure a get that bastard the next time he shows himself," answered Holland coldly.

_Holland is going a little over his head, _thought Renton, _maybe it's because he hasn't fought in quite a while and he wants to take down anyone who could break into the Gekko-Go and hurt Eureka_. _I would do the same, but…that's a lot of guns!_

"Well, anyways," said Renton, "have you seen Eureka? I've looked everywhere for her, but I can't seem to locate her."

"No," replied Holland, still looking at the guns, "but…"

Holland then gave Renton a suspicious glance. A new thought entered Renton's mind.

"Oh no…" he said.

"Renton, wait!" Holland called as Renton bolted out of the room.

Renton ran down the halls like lightning. He needed to find Eureka. The talk about the intruder made Renton panic.

_Could he have already come back? I have to keep an eye on Eureka! What if she's already gone?_

He ran down the hall, not stopping. He bumped into Ken-Go, but didn't stop to say he was sorry. All he could think about was Eureka. He slipped while turning a corner, but hopped back up and darted away. He promised to protect Eureka and he didn't want anything to happen again…

Chapter 12: Another Day

Renton ran as fast as he could through the halls. He was overwhelmed with fear and a bit of anger. He just ran, barely thinking. He then crashed into Jobs and they both fell over.

"Ow!" said Jobs. "Is there a fire or something?"

"Eureka! Have you seen her?!" Renton asked hurriedly.

Jobs got up and brushed himself off.

"Hmm…" he said, "let's see…uh…maybe…no."

Renton couldn't wait. He jumped up and kept running.

_Dammit! _The voice in his head exclaimed,_ Where the hell is she! She can't be gone! It can't be now!_

Renton finally stumbled outside. It was already a bit late because the sky was a bright orange. Renton looked around hurriedly. He saw nothing. He started to panic as he ran to the other side of the ship.

_Oh, no, _his mind said,_ Oh, no! This can't be happening! Not now!_

His head was spinning and he couldn't take it. His heart was pumping heavily in his chest and he was breathing hard. He glanced around then saw something. Facing the setting sun, sitting on a grassy hill, was the figure of Eureka. Renton felt a little relieved, but still rushed towards her.

"Eureka, are you alright?" he asked her worriedly as he stood next to her.

"I…I don't know," she answered quietly.

Eureka just sat there, kneeling in the grass. She had a look of sorrow upon her face and she just kept staring at her hands. She was fingering something shiny and Renton realized that it was a ring, the ring they had found, the ring he had given her.

"I had almost forgotten about that," Renton chuckled.

He hadn't, but it sounded like a good line to him.

"This ring," said Eureka, "I had almost forgotten too. I thought that I might've lost it when I was…"

"When?"asked Renton.

"Nevermind…" she said.

Renton knelt down next to her and stared at her with a concerned face. She didn't look at him, staying still as a statue except for her fingers.

"What's wrong Eureka?" he asked calmly.

"I…I don't know," she answered again.

"There's got to be something wrong."

"I have a feeling…that something bad is going to happen…Everything is so confusing…everything has happened so fast. It's hard to think…so many horrible things. I want it all to just go away. I…I feel so weak. I feel so worried."

"Eureka, please don't think about it all. Yes, it's all confusing, but it will all be alright. We'll find out everything. Please."

She finally looked at him with a blank look.

"Please," he told her, "cheer up…please, just smile for me. I'll always be here for you…I love you."

Eureka's eyes started to water and she finally grinned. She then embraced him and sobbed a bit. Renton rubbed her back comfortingly. She then rapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. Her lips felt a little cold, but it was still a sweet kiss. He loved her so much and he would have done anything to keep her happy. She knew that. Everyone should have known that.

"I…" said Eureka, "I'll try to stay happy from now on."

"Try?" asked Renton.

"I _will_ stay happy from now on."

"I love you Eureka."

"I love you too, Renton."

She then leaned her head on his shoulder and they looked out at the sunset. A beautiful sunset it was. So many times had they seen it before, but each time, it was like seeing it for the first time. Especially then, as they sat on the hill together, sharing a moment that seemed like eternity. Nothing would break Eureka and Renton apart.

"I know something that'll make you feel a lot better," said Renton. "Let's go reffing. That'll be great."

"Alright," said Eureka, "but we haven't gone in over a year."

"We can try," said Renton, "They say that once you learn to ref, you'll never forget."

"Alright."

"Hey!" called Gidget from back at the ship, "Eureka! Renton! The ship is all fixed up and we're going to be going soon!"

Renton didn't look back. He just wanted to be with Eureka.

"Maybe we can go reffing another time," he said.

Eureka nodded slowly and he helped her up. Everything was going to be alright.

Arner just stared at the massive object in the middle of the room. The LFO looked quite eerie, but it was hard to tell exactly what it looked like due to the low lighting and the LFOs black armor.

"This is it?" asked Arner.

"Yes," answered Hyde. "We've been working and enhancing it quite a bit. Trying to improve its stealth capabilities is quite difficult. It is actually more maneuverable then most LFOs and a bit smaller then the average KLF. It should suit him well."

"What exactly are you planning to do with this?" asked Arner.

"Once he is capable of operating it," answered Hyde, "he may be able to use it to fend off any KLF enemies and even take down the Gekko-Go. The plan is up to you, sir."

"He doesn't have the proper training does he?"

"I'm sure I can get it into that brain of his."

"We shall see…"

"Time to get up," said Anemone.

"Uh," replied Dominic.

"C'mon!" she said. "We have places to go!"

"Huh?"

"I have some errands and you promised you'd spend time with me."

"Okay, okay," Dominic sighed. "I'm getting up…just very…very…slowly."

Dominic just lay still in bed. He didn't feel like waking. Anemone finally pulled him and he fell out of bed. He hit toppled over the side and thudded against the ground.

"Ow!"

He felt a tingling sensation across his left side.

"Oh my gosh!" exclaimed Anemone, "I forgot about your arm! Are you alright, Dominic?"

"Yeah…wait!"

Dominic shot upright, removed the cast and started to move his arm around.

"It worked!" he exclaimed.

"What?"

Anemone had a confused look.

"How did your arm fix so fast?" she asked. "What are you talking about? What's going on?"

"Remember I told you that they gave me some medicine for my arm?"

"Yes."

"Well, it was supposed to heal my arm very rapidly and it worked! Now I don't have to worry about it anymore! It's amazing…such a strange formula."

"Dominic, you're acting strange lately…"

Dominic got off the floor and hugged Anemone.

"Just because your arm is fixed," said Anemone, "that doesn't mean you're going off to work again."

"I…I won't," he replied.

Anemone still looked confused. Dominic knew that a lot of strange things were happening around her. He went over to the kitchen and got out a bowl of cereal. He found himself still rubbing his arm. He felt refreshed. For some reason, he was excited.

_Maybe it's an effect of the formula_, he thought.

"Where exactly are we going?" he asked Anemone.

"To the airport," she answered.

"Why? Are we going somewhere?"

"No, we're meeting someone."

"Who?"

"Gekko-State."

Dominic paused with the spoon halfway in his mouth. He hadn't seen Gekko-State in a very long time. Also, Eureka and Renton were said to have returned.

"We leave the apartment at 10:00," she told him.

Chapter 13: Talk Again

Alexander walked down the hall with his usual firm, military stride. He had just left an important meeting, but it had only bored him. It was just more discussion on how the Vodarek would be dealt with and the strange Coralian phenomena. Most of it didn't really matter to Alexander. Even though he was one of the top generals he hadn't too much concern over such typical topics. Of course, he was more worried about his own plans, his _special_ plans. He knew that soon everything would go exactly as he wished…hopefully.

"Ahh," said a familiar voice, "if it isn't my old friend, Alex!"

Alexander turned to see his colleague standing before him.

"Looking good, Alex," the friend said, "or should I say _General Arner_."

Alexander Arner simply grinned. He had only been promoted from lieutenant general to general a few months ago. His colleague examined the white uniform and badges on that made up Arner's apparel. It took some time to get used to being such an honored rank.

"Looking good yourself," Arner said, "_Lieutenant Colonel_ _Novak…_My old friend, Dewey."

Dewey also grinned and gave Alex a pat on the back.

"It's been quite a while since we've talked, Alex," Dewey said.

"Well, at least in person," said Alex with a slight smirk.

Dewey wiped the grin from his face and looked left and right. No one was around. He stayed quite for a few seconds then whispered.

"Is everything going well?" he asked quietly.

"I'm currently in the process of conjuring a plan," answered Alex. "You haven't actual explained to me how we're going to pull this off."

"I've been working very hard and cautiously," said Dewey. "It's very complicated to access information in this damned Federation…I've been able to obtain quite a bit of information that may lead to our prodigious victory. We are going to use these 'Coralians' to help us gain our goal. I have found information on the Light Flying Operations and the data collected by the late Adrock Thurston. We _will_ get this Federation under our control. We _will_ win."

"I can't wait for the day when this U.F. will fall," said Alex, but he still had doubt lingering inside.

"I have acquired interesting information about this planet's deepest and darkest secrets," Dewey told him. "There are very few people who have gained this knowledge or have even apprehended it. If we use this knowledge…we can bring the people under our control."

"I am looking forward to our moment," said Alex, "but I have a foreboding that an obstacle may step in our path."

"Don't worry," said Dewey. "I will make sure that it all goes according to plan."

"I sure do hope so. What is this secret information you have?"

"I haven't the time to share it with you right now. Well, I have to have a little discussion with my baby brother so I'll contact you sooner or later."

With that, Dewey Novak strode away, leaving Alexander Arner in thought.

Arner sat back in his chair as he dwelt in the past. It had only seemed like a few days since he had met with Dewey for the last time before Dewey was arrested. It had only seemed like a few days since he had learned about Dewey's release from prison. It had only seemed like a few days since Dewey tried to take control of the world, leaving Arner in the shadows.

_Dewey, you bastard,_ Arner thought,_ looks like your baby brother had to get you imprisoned. He also killed you before you could get what you wanted. I've worked hard too, harder than you could have imagined. It seems that you had not a need for me. Now, I haven't the need for you, Dewey. I hope there's a special seat in Hell where you can watch me achieve the victory you failed to obtain._ _I already know more than you could have ever dreamed._

Maurice sat down in the lounge and started eating a bowl of Heerios. He was usually the first of the three kids up. He normally got up at around eight and he went to the lounge to eat breakfast. Moondoggie and Matthieu were sitting on the sofa watching TV while Maurice ate. They were a bit far away and were talking in low tones, but Maurice could hear them.

"Oi," said Moondoggie, "it still makes me wonder…"

"What?" asked Matthieu.

"Do you think…Eureka and Renton can still _do it_?"

"Teh, for all we know, they probably already have."

"You think so?"

"Let's see…They've been gone for a year, Renton's a teen, and Eureka doesn't know what _it_ is so Renton could say whatever he wants and get her to do it with him a million times."

"But wouldn't she have been pregnant or bring a baby back?"

""I don't know. Maybe he uses _protection _or maybe he's just lucky…or unlucky…Why are we even talking about this?" asked Matthieu.

"I'm just curious," replied Moondoggie.

"You can settle you're curiosity with _those_ magazines."

"Hey! That was just that one time!"

"Whatever."

"Hey…"

"Huh?"

"They were gone for a year, but they were in that whole Promised Land place. I mean, there's nothing down there, but wilderness underneath the crust. I mean…if they _did it…_on the beach, in the water, up against a tree."

"I don't wanna hear it!" complained Matthieu.

"What are you guys talking about?" asked Maurice curiously.

"Nothing," they both answered simultaneously.

Maurice finished eating and walked back to their sleeping quarters. He found Maeter and Linck still sleeping soundly. Mama and Renton were also asleep on the top bunk. Maurice sighed and started to walk from the room.

"Maurice," said a faint voice.

He turned to see Mama with her eyes slightly open.

"Mama?"

"Is something wrong?" she asked.

"Um…no," he answered, "I was just waiting for you to get up."

Mama got out of bed and looked at Maurice. She then knelt down and embraced him.

"What's wrong, Mama?"

"Everything is alright…everything is alright…" she said slowly.

Maurice stilled wondered why Mama was acting strangely. She had acted strangely many times before, but Maurice didn't understand. Everything was supposed to be happy. Mama had returned and the world was at peace. There was nothing to worry about…or was there?

"Mama, please tell me," he said.

"It's nothing," she answered, "it's nothing."

Everything was normal now. Eureka acted as joyful as ever. It seemed as though Renton and she had never left. Gekkostate had even forgotten that Eureka had changed in appearance. They were so used to her old appearance from the previous year that they forgot that she had wings at all. Holland still took precautions, but Talho had to calm him down. Everyone else was carefree and jubilant.

Renton sat next on the sofa in the lounge as Eureka played around with Maeter and Linck who were drawing something. He hadn't talked to Eureka too much that morning. He didn't know why. Gidget was sitting next to him with Baby Charles cradled in her arms. Renton scooted over to look at the infant.

"I've said it many times before," said Gidget, "and I'm going to say it again, 'He looks so much like Holland,'"

"Yeah," agreed Renton.

The little baby stared at Renton with wide eyes. He did look like what one would believe Holland looked like when he was an infant. Renton smiled at the child and Charles made a cute little grin.

"Aww," said Gidget, "I haven't seen him smile in a while. He likes you. I guess you have a thing for making people smile…like Eureka."

Renton remembered when Eureka first smiled. It was supposedly the first time she had ever smiled in her life.

"Yeah," said Renton, "I guess I do have a thing for making people smile."

"Such a cute baby you are, Charles," said Gidget in a childish tone.

"Why Charles?" asked Renton.

"Huh?"

"I mean, why did Holland choose the name Charles? I-I would have chosen that name, but. Charles obviously refers to Charles Beams…the man Holland killed."

"I'm not exactly sure," said Gidget as she thought for a moment. "I think Charles is a good name, but I'm sure Holland has his reasons. I think it was that he's trying to honor Charles by giving that name to his own son…or maybe Talho got him to do it for that reason. Some of the others say it might be pity, but I don't know. Charles is his name and Charles he shall be. Isn't that right, Charlie?"

The little infant giggled, not at Gidget, but at Renton who was making funny faces and ignoring most of the words Gidet said.

"Alright, everyone…or those who are here," announced Hap as he entered the room. "We're going to head down to a city called Ansem. We could use some supplies, but…there will be some problems."

"Problems?" asked Gidget.

"Yeah," said Hap. "Seems that _ray=out_ and us are more popular than ever. We have quite a bit of fans and it seems that they all know of our coming to Ansem. It going to be a little crazy over there, but there is going to be tight security. Oh, and everybody seems to know that Renton and Eureka have returned to Earth…A couple of _clowns_ kinda gave it away to on the newest edition of _ray=out_."

Hap tossed something onto the table in front of Renton. Renton looked to see the _ray=out_ magazine. He smiled to finally see a copy again, but then his smile was swept away and he felt blood rush to his face as he noticed the cover picture. It was _that photo, _that particular photo. It was the photo of Renton and Eureka with their arms wrapped around each other and engaged in a loving kiss. It was the one that Moondoggie and Matthieu had taken when they sneaked up on Eureka and him.

"W-w-w-what the hell is this?!" Renton stuttered.

"It's the newest edition of _ray=out_," answered Hap.

Gidget had an awkward look on her face and Eureka walked over to see what Renton was upset about.

"What's wrong?" asked Eureka.

"Nothing," said Renton, swiping away the magazine.

He then jumped up and ran down the hall looking for the two goons. He ran down the halls as fast as he could until he finally came across Moondoggie and Matthieu who were engaged in a conversation as they walked.

"They do sleep in the same bed, don't they?" Moondoggie asked Matthieu.

"Yeah," said Matthieu, "but the kids sleep in there too."

"So?" said Moondoggie.

"Hey!" said Renton, breaking their conversation.

"Oh, Renton!" said Matthieu suddenly, "what's up? We were just chatting about…uh…something and-"

"What the Hell is this!!!" asked Renton angrily as he held up magazine.

The two stared at it and smiled.

"Hey, they actually used it!" exclaimed Matthieu as he broke out in a laugh.

"This is not funny!" Renton pouted.

"Aw, it's just a picture Renton, there's no need to get angry about it," Moondoggie told him.

"Just a picture? Just a picture!?! That was a private moment!"

"Sorry," said Matthieu chuckling, "I didn't think they'd actually use it."

"Hey," said Renton, "if Stoner's gone, who makes these magazines?"

"Oh some well-known company," answered Moondoggie. "It started with a 'B'. Bandu…Bande…Bandai…something like that."

Renton threw the magazine to the floor and stomped away.

"WE'VE REACHED THE AIRPORT," announced Hap over the intercom.

"Do we have to bring him?" asked Dominic.

"Yes," said Anemone, "he needs to meet with Eureka and Renton too."

"But he's so…big and clumsy."

Dominic pulled harder on Gulliver's leash to make him move fast. Gulliver had grown quite bigger than before, but Dominic still had strength which was boosted by the formula in his arm.

He had already called Seizo and informed him about the results. Seizo was glad and talked about different assignments, but Dominic knew that he had to keep his promise to spend more time with Anemone.

There were a lot of people heading towards the airport. Anemone wanted to get there early, but she also wanted to look nice because they hadn't seen Eureka and Renton for about a year. Anemone wore a pretty, but decent pink outfit and Dominic wore casual clothes. They weren't too close to Eureka and Renton, but it would be nice to see them again.

When they got to the airport, Anemone and Dominic found the place packed. There was security everywhere and certain people were asked to leave. The majority of the crowd was young people and many of them Ref boarders. Most of the kids held _ray=out_ magazines and some odd looking people wore clothing similar to that of certain Gekkostate members.

"Man," said Dominic, "they sure do have a lot of fans."

Gulliver nudged his way past feet and legs. Domnic had some trouble squeezing through a couple of plump men, but he caught up with Anemone. Some people seemed to recognize Dominic and said something, but Dominic didn't pay attention. He and Anemone found themselves in front of a doorway that led down a hall which went to the hanger the Gekko was stationed in.

"I'm sorry, but no one is allowed in the hanger at the time being," the security guard told them.

Dominic held out his ID card.

"Dominic Sorel, you must know me. I'm a friend of Renton," Dominic said.

"Oh," said the guard, "of course, sorry about that, Mr. Sorel."

There were some unhappy complaints as the guard allowed Anemone and Dominic to pass. Dominic held Anemone's arm and the walked through into the hanger. They saw the gigantic bright green Gekko-Go sitting in the hanger. The crew was standing around the ship doing various jobs or activities. They spotted Eureka and Renton chatting with each other and Dominic called to them.

"Hey!" he yelled.

The two turned and looked at him. Dominic and Anemone smiled. At first, Renton had a confused face as if he didn't remember them; this annoyed Dominic a bit, but then Renton smiled and he and Eureka ran over to them.

Renton wore a different jacket than before. It was black and red. He was a bit taller and he still had messy hair, but even more messy than remembered. Gulliver stared at Renton with confusion.

"It's been a long time, Renton Thurston," Dominic said casually.

"Yes it has," Renton said.

"You barely look changed," commented Dominic. "Except that you're taller…and you might need to comb your hair."

Renton felt the hair on his head.

"Oh," Renton said, "I've done my best to cut it, but I've been careless about that."

"Just leave it messy," said Anemone. "It reminds me of when you were younger."

"So many memories," said Eureka.

They were all silent for a while.

"A lot has happened since you've been gone," said Anemone.

"Will you please sharing some information with us?" asked Eureka.

"Let's go get a bite to eat," said Dominic, "my treat. We'll tell you everything."

Holland watched as Renton and Eureka walked away with friends of theirs. Holland wanted to follow them, to make sure everything would be okay, but he knew that Talho would forbid it. Holland still had a large Raptor .50 in his jacket just in case. He was feeling extra precautious. He wouldn't forget what had happened that night on the Gekko-Go; The mysterious invader.

Suddenly, the phone in Holland's pocket rung. He answered it to hear a familiar voice.

"Hey, Holland."

"It's you. It's been quite a while," said Holland.

"Yeah, sorry I couldn't come. I would have loved to see Renton and Eureka again. I could also take a few photos."

"I guess it's alright, Stoner. What are you doing?"

"Well, I'd much rather be there, but I have another assignment."

"What is it?"

"Ah, It's a secret thing, but since we're pretty close, I'll tell you when it's over."

"Okay."

"I have to go know, talk to you later."

"Alright, Stoner."

Holland hung up. It was good to talk to Stoner again, but there Stoner seemed to have been talking rather fast. So much had happened.

Chapter 14: Chain of Events

"How has everything been coming along?" Arner asked as he walked next to Hyde across the balcony overlooking the LFO garage.

"Everything has been coming along well," answered Hyde. "The VENOM is still in efficient condition and the DUSKs are ready for operation as soon as the pilots are ready. By the way, how is Steller doing?"

"I sent him on another mission," answered Arner. "He is currently monitoring the Gekko-Go's position. I asked him not to kill anyone this time unless it is absolutely necessary. I just hope his anger and bloodlust doesn't get in the way…especially with his vengeful mind..."

"So, that's how I became Captain of the third SOF squad," Dominic told Renton and Eureka as they sat in a small restaurant overlooking the city.

It was a nice, somewhat fancy restaurant and expensive, but Dominic had the money to pay for them all. The restaurant was occupied mainly by middle-aged and elderly people (the younger people were the ones that were trying to force there way into the restaurant to see Renton and Eureka or still at the airport trying to get a peek at the Gekko-Go). Everything was peaceful, but there were guards lingering about here and there. It was obvious to tell because they were the quiet ones with the black suits and shades.

It was a bit of trouble getting to the restaurant and they had to stall because there was a "No Pets Allowed" sign, but they convinced the restaurant staff to make Gulliver an exception.

"We still haven't gotten our SOF LFOs yet," said Dominic, "but we're supposed to be getting some new standard type."

"Has anything exciting happened so far?" Renton asked.

Dominic made a quick glance at Anemone. He knew what topic she was thinking of and he knew that it shouldn't be brought up at the moment. It would only bring worry and confusion to a peaceful moment.

"Uh," said Dominic, "not too much. How about you?"

Renton made a quick glance at Eureka. He knew what topic she was thinking of and he knew that it shouldn't be brought up at the moment. It would only bring worry and confusion to a peaceful moment.

"Not really," answered Renton.

"Well, Eureka," said Anemone, changing the subject, "you haven't changed one bit."

"Yes," said Eureka, "I guess I look the same as I have before."

Renton guessed that Eureka hadn't looked aged because she was Coralian. She was partly human so she did age, but not _too_ much. Eureka suddenly looked down at her food and frowned, but Renton clutched her hand and she looked up and smiled.

Dominic held Anemone's hand also and they made loving glances to each other. Everything was at peace; there were no worries, nothing to fear.

"How has Gekkostate been coming along?" Dominic asked.

"Everyone's doing fine," answered Eureka.

"It seems like we haven't even left," Renton added.

Suddenly, Gulliver moved around recklessly and made whimpering noises.

"Huh?" said Dominic, looking at the fury creature's worried face.

"Uh, oh," whispered Anemone. "Gulliver has to _go._ Take him outside."

"Excuse me for a moment," Dominic said as he grabbed Gulliver's leash and led him out of the restaurant. He walked outside past the guards and found no more paparazzi or fans lingering around.

_They must all be at the airport_, he thought.

Dominic took Gulliver down the street to look for something that Gullviver could do his _business_ on, but Dominic wanted to make it quick. Then, it happened. Everything seemed to play in slow-motion. The world around Dominic seemed to blur except for the individual striding past him. He could see the man quite clearly; he had just noticed him out of the corner of his eye and immediately looked at him. The mad was dressed in a long black trench coat and had a shiny, eerie black gasmask covering his entire head. Dominic's eyes followed the man's motion as they walked past each other in the slow-motion dimension that seemed to surround him, but his head did not turn. Soon, the man was out of view Dominic turned his head quickly just to see the black trench coat flap by down a dark alleyway.

Dominic, thinking of nothing, but the gas masked-man, released Gulliver's leash and ran down the alleyway. He reached in the back of his pants and pulled out the Magnum he had hidden. He quickly rushed down the small alley and found a fork in the past then immediately turned left.

"Meow!" cried a small black alley cat.

Dominic stared for a moment then quickly reversed his position and saw nothing down the next alley. He felt his heart beating as he held the gun tightly with his finger nearly squeezing the trigger. Suddenly, something thudded behind him and before Dominic could twirl around, he felt a cold blade touch his throat.

"Drop it," said a cold voice.

Dominic dropped the Magnum which clattered onto the ground. He felt the man's arm wrapped around his chest, locked in place like iron.

"I would kill you now," said the man, "but I'm currently not in the mood for death and I am not allowed to kill unless it is entirely necessary, so don't make it necessary."

"Who are?" Dominic asked aggressively.

"Stop getting into my way or I will hurt her."

"What?"

"The female you were with, the one with the pink hair. If you persist to get in my way, she will get hurt."

"What do you want?"

"I should've finished you off that time in the storage facility."

"How did you know that that was me?"

"I know more than you could imagine, Dominic Sorel."

"You…"

The knife was still held close to Dominic's neck. Dominic could barely breath, but he knew that he couldn't struggle.

"You're arm," said the man slowly, "how did it heal so fast?"

"Why do-"

"How?!"

The man squeezed even tighter.

"I was injected with a health formula."

"Who gave you this formula?"

"I…I-"

"Who?!"

Dominic raced through his mind to remember the name.

"A doctor-Enson. His name was Enson."

"Traitor…" the man said quietly.

"What?"

"Remember what I've said to you." The man told Dominic. "This is your only and last warning."

Dominic was released then thrown to the ground. He splashed into a small puddle then turned around to see that the mysterious man was gone.

"Dammit…" Dominic said to himself.

He then walked back to the street.

_Crap!_ He thought,_ where the hell is Gulliver?_

He panicked for a bit, knowing that he had lost Anemone's pet, but then found Gulliver sitting happily near a bush. Dominic sighed and then took Gulliver back to the restaurant.

He found Anemone talking to Renton and Eureka about _ray=out_, but Anemone paused when she noticed Dominic.

"What happened?" she said worriedly, looking at Dominic's messy clothes.

"Nothing, it was nothing," Dominic lied.

"Is that…" she started.

Dominic noticed that she was looking at his wet sleeve. He then glanced at Gulliver.

"Oh, that's just water, don't worry," he told her.

They started to talk more about Gekkostate, but Anemone would give worried glances to Dominic every so often. He wasn't going to tell her about what had happened. He didn't want to see her hurt.

"Yay!" cheered Maeter. "I made another good kick!"

Maurice watched as Moondoggie taught Meater and Linck how to play soccer along with Gidget. For some reason, Maurice didn't feel like playing. He just sat under the shade of the tree on the park bench. Next to him sat Talho who was whispering to Charles as he sucked on his bottle. Matthieu was out playing baskedball with a few guys he had randomly met. It was just a peaceful day at the park.

"Where's Holland?" Maurice asked Talho.

"Oh, he just wants to stay with the Gekko-Go," Talho answered, "I can't get him to relax here at the park."

Maurice knew that Holland was acting pretty awkward lately, but if he did come to the public park, being the most famous refboarder, people would be all over him.

"Hey!" called Linck. "Maurice, come play with us!"

"Not right now," responded Maurice.

He had that feeling again; something was wrong.

"I'm surprised that the Gekko-Go is still the same," Renton said.

"Though it will never be the same without Nirvash," Eureka added.

Eureka looked down at her plate again. She had barely touched her food. She didn't feel quite hungry, but she didn't know why.

"Yeah," Anemone said, "I kinda miss theEND too."

"Well, some things have to go," Dominic said.

Eureka suddenly felt a bit queasy. She clutched her stomach.

"Eureka, are you okay?" Renton asked.

"I'm fine," she said, forcing a smile. "I just need to use the restroom."

"You sure?" Renton asked worriedly.

"Yes," she answered as she walked off to the restroom. The restaurant restroom was down quite a long hall because it was behind the kitchen. Eureka walked with her hand sliding against the wall and the other clutching her stomach. She felt as if something were weighing her down.

There was a guard standing between the male and female bathroom doors and Eureka collapsed onto her knees when she got to him.

"Are you alright, miss?" asked the guard.

"I…I…" Eureka felt an odd feeling like she was being burned.

Everything went blank.

Holland sat on the ground in front of the Gekko-Go. He was thinking about various things. The subject of Eureka and Renton's safety kept finding its way to his attention. He knew that he had been acting odd lately and that it was affecting others, especially Talho. Everything was so confusing. He didn't know what was going on.

"Oi, Holland," said Hilda, "I'm heading down to the park with the others. Want to come?"

"No thanks," said Holland.

Hilda sighed and walked out of the hanger. Holland stared blankly at the wall.

"You should go to the park," Mischa said from behind him. "You need a little relaxation."

"Whatever," said Holland.

"Everything will come out alright, Holland," Mischa said calmingly.

"You sure that nothing is wrong with Eureka?"

"Not exactly sure, but pretty sure."

"Pretty sure isn't good enough."

Strange visions flew by: glowing red eyes, blood, beams of red light, rain, a shadowy figure, and the image of a dark, massive, demonic figure.

_Drip…drip…drip…_

The noise…it was so familiar. Eureka slowly found her way to consciousness and she gradually opened her eyes. She found herself in a white room standing in front of a blurry mirror, the bathroom. The dripping was coming from the sink faucet in front of her.

_Nothing happened this time, it was all just a dream,_ she tried to tell herself.

Eureka looked down at her hands and felt a tingling sensation overwhelm her body. Her hands were stained with blood. Eureka stared wide-eyed for a few seconds, but then turned on the faucet and started to wash the blood off. She was breathing heavily and she had a panicking feeling.

_Something's wrong,_ she thought, _what's going on, who's blood-_

She froze as she saw a puddle of blood behind her through the mirror. She dared to turn her head to see what was there. Smashed against the bathroom wall, lay the security guard who was standing near the door. He lay there lifelessly with his shirt stained with blood. Eureka slowly finished washing her hands, turned off the faucet and walked out the door. She didn't feel anything. She just kept a blank look on her face with her eyes wide open as she walked back to the table.

"Are you alright Eureka?" asked Renton as she neared the table. "You took a long time. I was about to-"

Renton stared at Eureka, more so her clothes. Eureka looked to see that her outfit had splashes of blood on it. Renton jumped from his seat and held Eureka's shoulders.

"W-What happened? Is that blood? Are you hurt?" Renton asked, panicking.

"I don't know what happened…" Eureka answered.

"OH MY GOD!" exclaimed a man who came running down the hall from the bathroom. "There's a dead body in the bathroom!"

Everyone in the restaurant froze, horror struck. Something was wrong.

"Are you sure that you don't remember anything else?" asked the detective.

"I only remember fainting," Eureka told him.

The entire restaurant was filled with inspectors, officers, security, and all sorts of law enforcement. Renton was confused. He didn't know what exactly had happened. He had hoped that Eureka could tell him, but she didn't remember anything. Dominic and Anemone were there. Anemone was pacing around, biting her lip while Dominic was tapping his leg with a handgun. Holland was also there and he too was tapping his leg with a large handgun.

"We don't know who did it," said a detective, "but we'll try to find any sort of trace that will lead us to a suspect. Eureka was covered with blood, but it obviously wasn't her. Also, she couldn't have been capable of dealing such damage to the victim."

"I-I think I might know who could've done it," Dominic said slowly.

"You do?" asked the detective.

Dominic had a worried face and he glanced several times at Anemone.

"It would help if you could tell me, sir," said the detective.

"There was a man," Dominic said, "he's a very dangerous man who I believe is after Eureka. He is usually dressed in black and wears a black gasmask that covers his whole head."

Holland looked at Dominic as if something sounded familiar, but Holland said nothing.

"What else do you know about this hostile individual?" asked the detective.

"He is quick and stealthy," Dominic told him. "He's most likely an assassin."

"Well, if he's quick and stealthy," said detective, "it might not be him."

"What? Why not?" asked Holland.

"Well," said the detective, "the victim killed, the security guard, was smashed into the wall with an enormous amount of force. I'm surprised that no one heard anything. He received several blows to the face and had a few of his organs smashed. This assassin must be a brutal one if it was him."

Dominic thought for a moment. The assassin wouldn't really have done such a thing. He probably would have shot the guard in the head or slit his throat, but what happened in the bathroom was an eerie mystery. Dominic also remembered the words "I'm currently not in the mood for death and I am not allowed to kill unless it is entirely necessary…" Who could it have been?

"Also," added the detective, "Eureka, will you tell me why you were in the men's restroom?"

"Men's?" asked Eureka.

"The body was in the men's restroom and you said that you were in the room with him," said the detective.

"I just fainted," Eureka said slowly and without emotion.

"We'll look more into this," the detective told them. "We'll also look for the suspect you mentioned. In the meantime, you should get some rest. It's good that no one else was harmed."

They all exited the restaurant and headed back to the airport with armored officers escorting them. Anemone hugged Dominic's hand.

"I'm afraid, Dominic," she said worriedly. "It's so confusing."

"Everything will be alright," he told her.

He then looked to see Renton holding Eureka's hand and giving her a worried look as they walked up the road. Everything would soon be all over the news.

"Will you tell us what's wrong?" Maeter asked Talho pleadingly.

"Not right now," Talho told them, but Maruice knew that something was wrong.

Talho tapped her foot rapidly on the ground and showed worry in her eyes. They were still at the park. Hilda came rushing to Talho and had whispered something. Matthieu and Moondoggie had quickly left, but nothing was said to Maurice Maeter and Linck.

"We're going back to the ship now," Talho told them.

No one protested. Everyone was worried.

When they got to the Gekko-Go, Mama and Renton were back. All Maurice was told was that Mama had been in an _accident_. Renton staid close to Mama and Mama had that sad and confused look on her face again. Holland wanted to leave Ansem as quickly as possible, but there were still some repairs needed. Several security guards stood watch. Everything was so confusing…

Chapter 15: Heart

"They're beautiful; aren't they?" said Eka calmly.

"Yes," agreed Roth.

They were lying down on the grass looking up at the stars. That night was a good one because the stars shone bright and magnificently. Roth never really took time to look at the stars, only when he was with Eka.

"It's such a good night," Roth said as he turned to look at Eka.

She looked beautiful in the luminous moonlight with her gold eyes and her soft brown hair. He loved her so much.

"The moon seems so close," Eka said. "It's like you could just reach out and touch it."

Roth closed his eyes and felt the gentle night breeze blow agaist his skin. It was so relaxing to lie on the large hill that overlooked the city. Roth had come there often, but it was always special when he was with Eka. It was like being there for the first time and sometimes he felt that he could stay there forever with her.

"The stars are like little jewels," Eka said.

Roth grinned and half-opened opened one eye. He knew that it was his moment.

"That reminds me, Eka," he said in a happy tone.

She looked at him as he stood and reached into his jacket pocket. He then slowly and carefully pulled out the present he longed to give her, a diamond necklace. The entire chain was made of fairly large diamonds and there was one large heart-shaped diamond hanging on the front. Eka's eyes widened as she stood up and looked upon it.

"I got this for you," Roth said, "it's a special gift for the girl I love the most."

Eka walked up to him and marveled at the necklace.

"It's so beautiful," she said slowly and quietly.

"I know what you're thinking and don't worry, they're real. It's the best there is," Roth told her as he place the necklace around her neck. "I even carved our initials on the back."

Eka had a grateful and loving smile on her face s she fingered the heart diamond. Roth felt happy inside as he looked at her bright eyes. Then a frown appeared and her eyes darkened.

"You stole this didn't you?" she asked coldly. "You got it on your mission."

Roth sighed. He knew that she would figure out the truth. She knew that he couldn't afford something of such great value. The initials were easily seen to be carved not by any jeweler. Roth had carved into the metal plating behind the heart with his knife. He did quite a good job, but it still had the look of poor craftsmanship.

"Yes…I stole it," Roth admitted. "I can't return it though."

Eka stood still and fingered the necklace a bit more.

"I guess it's alright," she said, trying to grin. "After all, they are our enemies."

"Yeah," Roth agreed knowing that she was going to keep it.

"You…you didn't take it off of…someone gig you?"

"No, it was from an old jewelry store."

Eka looked up at the moon again.

"Why do you think everything has to be like this?" she asked sadly. "Our lives…"

Roth sighed again and looked at the grass that was slowly bending in the breeze.

"I don't know," he answered. "I wish it was all over too. I really don't get it…But don't worry, Eka, everything will be okay."

"Do you think we'll ever get out of here? Will we leave this city and go somewhere peaceful, start a new life?"

"I'll be twenty in four months so I'll be able to own my own home and we can probably leave this place. We can go somewhere peaceful and not have to worry about any evil. We might even start a family."

Roth walked closer to Eka and wrapped his arms around her. He held her gently and lovingly as he kissed her forehead. She placed her head on hi should and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"Do you really love me?" she asked slowly.

"Ekajata," Roth said with a little disbelief at her words, "of course I love you. I'll love you till the end of time."

Roth lifted his head and looked into her golden eyes. She absolutely was beautiful, no doubt about it. She was like an angel, sent from the great beyond just for his admiration and love. The luminous necklace only made her beauty show even more. It wasn't just her outer beauty, but her spiritual magnificence, too. No one loved her more than Roth. He knew that he his life would change forever if he lost her.

"Love is a difficult thing," Roth said, "but I will face the difficulties just for you."

"It is difficult to see love in such hard times," Ekajata said, "in such a time of hate and violence."

"Yes," Roth agreed, "with my eyes, I see horrible things…too horrible to imagine, but…with my heart…I see you, the marvelous light within the consuming darkness. You are the one that I will protect through disaster. Never forget that I'm here for you…always."

He then leaned down and kissed her on the lips. It was such a perfect moment on that perfect night under the perfect moon. Roth would have done anything to keep that moment lasting for eternity. His lips felt as though he was kissing her for the first time, kissing the angel he loved forever. Roth wondered why he was so special, why he was the one chosen for the special gift of love from the girl he loved the most, Ekajata.

"Hey!" called a voice from down the hill.

Roth knew that it was his cousin, Markus, but Roth ignored him. All focus was on Eka.

"Hey!" called Markus again.

Roth finally pulled away from Eka and looked at his cousin at the bottom of the hill.

"Yeah, I'm talking to you, Rothstock Steller!" Markus said. "I've been looking all over for you! It's your turn to watch the little kids, remember?"

"Alright, alright," said Roth. "Let's go, Eka."

So Rothstock Steller walked down the hill and continued his life which soon changed forever…

Steller sat on the rooftop of an apartment complex, just sitting and thinking. In his hand, he held the diamond necklace, the necklace he had given to the woman he loved, so many years ago. It had been so many years since he had given it to her….so many years since he last told her he loved her…so many years since he took the necklace from her dead body, so many years since he sought revenge.

He just sat there, still as a frozen statue on the coldest spot in the world. The night went on and he just sat, barely thinking, barely living. He almost had. He almost had it, but he hesitated. He didn't know why. He never hesitated when killing, but for some reason, before killing someone who had affected his life so much, he hesitated, thinking about how he would finally achieve his long-awaited goal.

Holland Novak, he was right within Steller's grasp that one night. Steller could have killed him so easily. All he had to do was slit his throat, but no. He had hesitated. Then there was Eureka. He could have so easily shot a bullet through her skull instead of hit her with a tranquilizer dart, but he let his mission get in the way. He could have easily killed her while he rode with her unconscious body in his bike, but his loyalty to Arner got in his way.

_It would have been so easy,_ he thought, _but it would be to merciful to kill her in her sleep._

He didn't care anymore. He would kill all of Gekkostate if he had to. He was Steller-the cold-blooded assassin of the D.S. Corporation. Though this time, he would not hesitate, he would not obey any command, but his own. This time, he would achieve his goal.

"Steller," said Arner's voice through the radio in his helmet, "the mission will be temporarily abandoned for the time being. We need you to return to base. Hyde has a little _present_ for you. You may like it."

"Sorry," Steller said, "but I can't right now. I have business to take care of…nothing will stop me this time."

"What? Steller, wait. What do you-this is important you must-"

Steller ended the transmission and turned off the headset. He stood from where he was sitting and jumped down from the building. Dawn was approaching. He walked briskly and stared at his destination, the airport. He would get revenge on them. He blamed everything on them. Everything that turned him to ruin and it was all because of that one mission so long ago. Nothing would get in his way…

"Everything will turn up," said Anemone slowly as she sat on the bed next to Dominic. "The criminal almost always gets caught."

Dominic said nothing. He just sat and stared at the blank TV. Everything was so confusing. Nothing made sense: the man in the black mask, the mission that claimed his comrades, and the mysterious murder. The mystery was an evil shadow staring down at him with a snicker. It was a door that constantly moved closer, but when he reached it, the doorknob slipped from his hands and it drifted away. Dominic's thoughts confused his mind. He couldn't concentrate anymore. He could barely sleep. Anemone was what mattered to him, but the thought of her life being threatened sent him a feeling of constant fear.

_No,_ Dominic thought,_ I must let my mind focus on that. Not now. Relax…_

"Please don't think about it, Dominic," Anemone said in a pitiful sort of tone. "Do you want me to make you feel better?"

Her hand slipped down onto his thigh.

"No…"Dominic said, "I'm okay…"

Somewhat of a disappointed look appeared on Anemone's face. She sighed then kissed Dominic on the cheek. She then picked up the remote on the nightstand.

"Let's see if there's something good on TV, something that will get your mind off this horrible situation…something without death."

She switched on the TV and skipped through the channels.

Documentary: "Death is a man's enemy."

Drama: "No! Don't shoot!"

History: "He was found with a bullet in his skull."

News: "A man died today while walking home from work."

News: "It was an assassination attempt."

Movie: "He told me enough! He told me you killed him!"

Game Show: "He was assassinated by Hitokiri ten years ago."

News: "There was a huge gunfight."

Music: "I cry when angels deserve to DIE!"

Comedy: "Man, that monkey almost killed you!"

Movie: "That's him, the one in the gasmask."

"Okay, maybe nothing's on," Anemone said with frustration.

Dominic had been barely paying attention to the TV. He was just staring at the wall. He often found himself looking off into space as if his brain would shut down every few minutes or so. His mind returned home when Anemone put her head on his shoulder. Dominic was exempt from speaking, but he lovingly looked at Anemone. He didn't know what he'd do if he lost her. He didn't know how he'd deal with seeing her hurt. He wondered why he hadn't married her yet. He knew that she had been waiting. He knew that she would accept, but he just hadn't asked. Did Dominic lack the strength? No. He was strong. He could do it. Their love was strong yet, he hadn't popped the question. He probably thought that he should spend more time having fun with her before he made the commitment. That was probably what she was thinking then. He knew that the current time was not sufficient for a marriage, but he couldn't keep the thought of seeing her hurt out of his head.

"Why do you stare like that?" Anemone asked as she gazed into his absentminded eyes.

"I…"Dominic started, "nothing."

"Please tell me that you're not afraid. Please," she implored.

"I'm not afraid," Dominic lied.

He stroked Anemone's pink hair. She was so different now. Before, she used to be the rambunctious, loud, curious, crazy young girl, but now she was a loving, controlled, strong, but proud young woman. He still loved her and liked the way she was. Nothing could bring them apart. Though, a thought kept reappearing in his mind: There was seemingly a connection to everything, the formula that cured his arm, the doctor that gave it to him, the man in the black mask, the mysterious murders, everything. There was so much yet Dominic wouldn't let it tear he and Anemone apart. Nothing would…nothing.

_Dammit,_ Holland thought,_ we have to get out of here_.

Holland stood in front of the Gekko-Go with an MP5 in his hands. A repair team had come in to fix the Gekko, but they were currently on an early lunch break. The team had gotten out to do the repairs on their own so they could leave as soon as possible. For security, three military guards were stationed near the Gekko-Go and two near the hanger entrance.

Renton came out of the Gekko holding Eureka's hand. Eureka still had a gloomy look on her face and she blinked slowly.

"Renton, get inside with Eureka," he ordered them.

"But we want to help," Renton insisted.

"Go inside!"

Renton frowned.

"Don't listen to him," Talho said, "it's safe here."

Talho came out holding Charles.

"Talho, you get inside, too," Holland ordered.

"Holland, you need to spend less time worrying," Talho said.

"Please!" Holland begged.

"You've barely spent any time with your son lately, Holland," Talho pointed out.

"Well-" Holland started.

"What?!" said one of the guards to his headset. "Alright."

"What is it?" asked the other guard.

"The security systems just went down," he said, "something's up."

The three guards looked around cautiously with the guns ready.

"Get…inside…now," Holland told Talho, Renton, and Eureka.

Then he heard it. There was a single gunshot from across the hanger, near the only open entrance area. Holland also heard the faint echo of a silencer:_ Pew! Pew!_

"Do you hear that?" asked one of the guards.

There was a long pause. Then, something flew through the area. All eyes were on it as it hit the ground with a metal clatter about ten feet in font of the guards.

_Boom!_

There was an explosion of grey smoke that quickly spread.

"Smoke grenade!" yelled one of the guards.

"GET INSIDE NOW!" Holland yelled.

All Gekkostate members that were outside rushed into the Gekko.

"Renton," Holland said to Renton who was still out with Eureka, "get somewhere safe and KEEP EUREKA WITH YOU AT ALL TIMES!"

He tossed Renton a magnum pistol and Renton fled with Eureka.

_Pew!_

One of the guards dropped to the floor. The others were barely visible through the smoke. The other two guards started firing forward randomly. A dark figure ran in front of both of them and slashed each one once toward the neck area. Both guards' figures dropped in the smoke. The dark figure then ran at incredible speed toward Holland. Holland fired rapidly at the figure and saw the gasmask appear from the smoke like a demon out of fire. The assassin dodged all the shots while running zigzag then reached Holland and made a quick spin, kicking the SMG out of Holland's hands. He swiped at Holland, but Holland ducked and made a kick for the enemy's legs. His foot hit something as hard as stone and he felt pain run down his leg as he almost collapsed. He then was kicked and sent hurtling through the air. He couldn't see through the smoke, but he knew that he had flown far. He waited for the enemy to come back, but then realized that he wouldn't waste his time on Holland while he had access to the Gekko-Go. Holland ran as fast as he could. He had to protect Eureka.

"Come on!" Moondoggie said.

Renton was running down the halls following Gidget and Moondoggie. He held Eureka's hand tightly and the pistol in his other hand. The three kids followed behind her. Eureka had a worried face, but she didn't show any signs of panic. She seemed as if she was oblivious to the whole thing.

"Hold on, Eureka," he said. Hold on, guys."

The three kids had no idea what was going on, but they looked as though they would burst out screaming. Moondoggie and Gidget got into a storage room and helped Eureka and the others get in. Moondoggie was holding a rifle and Gidget had a handgun.

"Everyone okay?" asked Moondoggie.

"Yes," answered Renton.

They waited. It was silent and nothing happened. Once they heard footsteps run by, but there was no way of telling who's they were. After what seemed like an hour, Maeter and Linck fell asleep.

"Should I check?" asked Moondoggie as he stood.

"No," Gidget told him.

Moondoggie stood anyways and opened the door a little. He stuck his head out and peered down the hall. It was quite dark outside of the room.

"I'm going to check to see if anything's happened." Moondoggie said.

"Wait, Doggie, don't be stupid," Gidget begged.

Moondoggie began to leave the room.

"Wait for me!" Gidget said, following Moondoggie.

"Hey!" said Renton, but they both left without a word.

Renton, Eureka, and the kids sat in silence for a few seconds until Renton heard a scream from outside that was immediately cut-off.

Renton peered out the door. The scream sounded like Gidget's.

"Renton, wait," Eureka protested.

"Just a minute," Renton said as he began to leave the room.

He hesitated. He didn't to disobey Holland's order and he didn't want something to happen to Eureka again. Eureka was holding his arm.

"I'll come-"

"No, stay with the kids," Renton told her. "Here."

He handed her the gun. She stared at it a bit, but Renton knew that she knew how to use it. He ran down the hall and saw Gidget frozen with a panic-stricken face as she stared down another hall with her gun pointed out. Renton slowly walked up to her and looked around the corner. Moondoggie was standing in the middle of the hall showing no signs of movement. Renton was about to walk up to him, but he them realized that someone was standing in front of Moondoggie.

Moondoggie was forced to turn and face them and a dark hand appeared on his shoulder. Another hand appeared next to his head pointing a pistol at his temple.

"No one move," said a voice that was muffled by a mask.

Renton could see a man with a jet black gasmask standing behind Moondoggie, holding him hostage. Moondoggie looked like he was going to scream like a girl with his mouth ready to open.

"Gidget," the man said, "kill Renton if you want James to live."

Gidget looked confused and shocked as she turned toward Renton with her gun in her hand.

"Now!" commanded the gas masked man as he jabbed the long barrel of his gun.

Moondoggie whimpered.

"Kill him or James dies!"

Gidget looked back at Moondoggie then back at Renton. She was panicking with confusion. As she turned her attention away from Moondoggie, the holding him hostage turned the gun and shot twice. There was a spark and the gun flew out of Giget's hand. She also clenched the side of her upper arm and fell to her knees.

"Gidget!" Moondoggie called out with fear.

He tried to break away from the man's grasp and was kicked forward. The man aimed his gun straight toward Renton heard his heart beating and felt like it would burst. It was almost as if everything was in slow-motion or time had stopped as he looked at the darkness within the barrel of the gun. Suddenly, there was a burst of fire. Renton moved his head and felt something whip across the skin around the left side of his forehead.

Hilda came running down the hall behind the attacker. She was holding a large assault rifle and began to fire more. The man in the gasmask whipped out something small and shiny from his belt and flung it at Hilda. She staggered and held her leg, but fired again. The man in the black gasmask ran down another hall leading to the left, but Hilda couldn't go after him.

"Damn!" Hilda said. "Are you guys, alright."

"Gidget's been cut by a bullet!" Moondoggie said.

Gidget's right upper arm was bleeding. Apparently, the bullet fired didn't go into her arm, but scrapped against it and made a big cut. Renton felt his forehead and realized that he too was bleeding where a bullet had grazed his skin, but it wasn't that deep of a cut. Hilda pulled a dart out of her leg and threw it to the ground.

"Where's Eureka?" Hilda asked.

Renton panicked and Ran as fast as a bullet to the storage room. Eureka was still there huddled next to the children.

"Eureka, you're alright," Renton said, relieved.

He went up to her and felt a slap on the cheek.

"Ow! What-"

"Don't leave me again," Eureka said without looking at him.

Renton could see water at the bottom of her eyes.

"I was afraid," she said. "You made me worry."

She looked at him. She looked frightened and sad, but there was something about her eyes that made her look beautiful.

"You're…bleeding," she told him.

Renton leaned down and kissed her.

"It's alright," he said after he removed his lips. "It won't happen again."

Steller ran down a few halls, but saw no one. He thought he heard footsteps, but he kept heading to the front of the ship. He found himself standing at the entrance to the bridge. He looked around in the darkness. Nobody was there. He might as well sabotage the bridge while he was there, but then he sensed the presence of someone behind him. Before he could turn, there was a gunshot. A bullet hit the last smoke bomb on his belt. The smoke bomb sent off a shockwave which blasted Steller forward. He smashed through the glass and fell onto the floor of the hanger about twenty feet below.

Steller pulled himself to his feet. The blast hadn't done too much damage, but there was smoke everywhere around him. He tried to look up at the bridge to see who had shot him. As he expected, the figure of Holland Novak appeared.

"Is you're armor bullet-proof against this?!"

Holland fired several rounds out of his SMG. Because of the distance, the SMG was inaccurate, but a round hit Steller's left arm. Instead of ricocheting or smashing onto his armor, the bullet went straight through his arm. Steller grunted and clenched his arm where the hole was.

_He's using Type A armored-piercing bullets_, Steller told himself.

His armor was made of the same metal so the bullets were able to penetrate it. Holland used a grapple to lower himself down and fired as he slid. The smoke was clearing and Steller jumped and rolled to the side to avoid being hit again. His left arm was still functional, but he could still use his right to shoot. He shot three times at Holland, but the former SOF captain dashed to the left and fired again. Steller took cover behind a forklift and reloaded. He then jumped sideways out and as he fell to the ground, he shot twice and Holland, but missed as Holland shot at him, shooting a hole in his left arm again and hitting his left abdomen area.

Steller fell to the ground and ground, but then he rolled to the right and shot again. He hit Holland's left arm and he dropped the SMG. Holland then ran and took cover behind a few barrels. Steller snuck up to the barrels and Holland popped out. He was holding a long, old fashion rifle. He fired once, but missed Steller's head by an inch. Steller kicked one of the barrels which hit Holland in the stomach and caused him to fall over. Steller aimed at Holland on the ground and Holland tried to kick the gun out of Steller's hand, but Steller's grip was to strong. Holland rolled and Steller found the rifle pointed at his stomach area.

_BAM!_

Steller fell on his knees. He felt pain coming from his abdomen. He hadn't felt such pain in a long time. He was almost glad to have been shot. Holland bashed him over the head with the butt of the rifle, but Steller was able to whip it out of Holland's hands and kick him back five feet or so. Holland quickly drew a pistol from his shirt and shot Steller again through the right arm. Steller grunted again and dropped his gun. He dodged Holland's other shots, but jumped and kicked him when he got to his feet. Holland flew and hit a few barrels. Steller wanted to kill him. He wanted to show him no mercy, but he was weak. He was wounded. He hadn't even seen Eureka yet. His attempt was pointless and he felt like a failure. He shouldn't have let his anger cloud his mind. He needed a better plan.

_No, _he though, _I can't fail now…not when I'm so close._

Steller twisted his arms back and forth and bent his leg. He felt pain flowing through him like fire, but he ignored it. It didn't matter anymore. It didn't matter if he lived or died. It didn't matter if he lived for ever or was condemned to die the next day. He would get his revenge.

Holland got up from where he had fallen, but Steller walked toward him with his combat knife in his hand. He used all his strength to walk up to his enemy and slash at him. Holland tried to dodge the first attack, but Steller bashed his fist against the side of Holland's head and slashed him across the chest. A streak of red appeared on Holland's clothing and Steller kicked him back again. Holland hit another barrel and tried to move, but couldn't stand from the wound on his chest. The pain came across Steller again. He then realized that he was wasting his time trying to murder Holland. The captain was bound to die anyhow.

Steller used the energy left to stagger back into the Gekko-Go. He ran down the hall looking for the coralian girl. He was slower than before, but he knew that it wouldn't matter.

"Hey! Don't move!" said a voice.

Steller turned around to see the man Hap pointing a pistol at him.

Steller had no weapon.

"Stay still or I'll shoot!" Hap ordered.

"Then shoot me," Steller said.

He stepped closer and Hap stepped back.

"Get back!" Hap said again.

Steller ignored him and walked forward. He stretched out his arm trying to grab him and Hap open fired. He shook from the bullets' impact but, the rounds simply ricocheted off of Steller's armor. He grabbed Hap's gun, pulled him forward and elbowed him on the head. Hap fell to the floor like a rag doll-unconscious. Steller didn't bother to shoot him; he was going to save his ammo for the one who really deserved it.

Steller staggered as fast as he could down the next few halls. He had seen Renton near the rear storage rooms so he went to look there. He ran into Ken-Goh on the way, but he simple whacked the big man over the head with the pistol and Ken-Goh felt to the ground unconscious. He Then made it to the storage rooms. Steller could hear voices.

"Everything will be alright, Eureka," said Renton's voice. "I'm sure Holland will take care of everything."

Steller tried to open the door. Locked.

"Yes," said Eureka, "but-"

_Bam!_

Steller kicked down the door with the strength in his leg. He aimed the pistol straight at Eureka's head.

_Don't hesitate,_ he told himself. His finger was right about to pull the trigger, but his eyes took in the whole situation. Renton held Eureka close to him and Eureka had her arm around the three children-Maurice, Maeter, and Linck. Steller paid little attention to the fear in Renton and Eureka's eyes, but he started at the horrified look on the children. They seemed so familiar. They reminded him of the children he had seen so long ago. No, they weren't the same children, but the look on their faces made them the same. Memories. Steller hadn't felt such a feeling of hesitation in a long time. He didn't know if he could shoot…but his hand automatically pulled the trigger.

_Oh, my god…_Renton thought.

He had assumed that everything was alright. Eureka and the kids were safe and the door was locked. They had heard gunshots and an explosion, but Renton had known that they were safe. Then, out of nowhere, the man in the black mask burst through the door and aimed a gun at them. All time seemed to stop. Renton was waiting for his death. There death stood, right in front of him, behind the black mask, behind the gun, about to pull the trigger.

The man hesitated. Renton tried to think fast, but nothing came to surface. Eureka had the gun in her hand, but he knew that the man would fire if he reached for it. Renton could jump in the way of the bullet, but the heavy gun in the man's hand looked like the shot would just pass straight through Renton's body and hit the people behind him. Renton felt frozen. The cold, dead, mysterious look made the scene more frightening. Renton couldn't utter a word or move his finger. Everything was happening fast, but seemed slow. He didn't know what the man was thinking behind the mysterious gasmask. He was hesitating. Maybe he wanted to kill them slowly. Maybe he wanted to torture them before they died. Renton didn't know, but he would soon find out. He watched as if in slow-motion as the man's gloved finger squeezed the trigger. Just waiting. Wait for the bullet to come and it will all be over. If he was going to kill Eureka he might as well kill them all.

_Click!_

The gun was out of ammunition. Renton couldn't tell if he was staring at the gun or at them, but there were several gunshots and the man looked to the left. He looked back at Renton and then fled. Hilda ran into the room.

"Everyone alight?!" she asked.

"Yeah," Renton said, letting the situation soak in.

His heart was thudding in his chest. Eureka's face was pressed against his shoulder. It was over. Nothing had happened. What would happen now?

Chapter 16: Talk

"Man, I'm tired," Dominic said while walking back to the apartment.

He had gone off to get a cup of coffee for Anemone and he and was now walking back home. He went to the door and pulled out his key. He opened the apartment door and walked in.

"Anemone, I'm back," he said.

The room was dark, the window was open and an eerie feeling struck Dominic. It was a cold dark feeling that wrapped around him like an icy blanket. Something was wrong. He felt the hair on the back of his neck prickle. He put the coffee on the table and slowly and cautiously gazed at the room. Nothing seemed out of place, but signs of Anemone were not visible.

"Anemone?" he called.

No answer. There was a sound from the bedroom and Dominic walked over to see the door ajar. He pushed it open and froze.

"Don't move," said the cold voice of the man holding Anemone hostage.

It was the man in the black gasmask. He was standing near the bed where Anemone was sitting with a cloth tired around her mouth and her hands behind her back. He had his pistol aimed at Anemone's temple and he gripped her tight around the neck. Anemone made no noise, but her eyes were wide with fear and panic. Dominic didn't know what to do. He knew where his magnum was, but he couldn't reach the nightstand because the gas masked man was in the way.

"Wh-what do you want?" Dominic said with fright in his voice.

"I told you not to get involved," answered the man.

"What?"

"I told you not to get in my way."

"I didn't do anything!"

"You don't remember do you?"

"What?!"

He pressed the gun harder to Anemone's head and she whimpered with watery eyes.

"Anemone, everything will be alright," he tried to tell her calmly.

"No it won't!" said the man.

"Let her go!"

"I gave you a warning!"

"I did nothing!"

Dominic's heart was beating and he felt sweat run down his face as if he had been splashed with warm water.

"You will tell me where the Coralian girl is at the count of ten!" he ordered.

"What? I don't know!"

"One!"

He looked at Anemone's frightened face. He wanted to hold her, but he couldn't.

"Two!"

"They might be at the airport or they might've left!" Dominic told him.

"They aren't there! I know that you know!"

"I told you that I don't know!"

"Three!"

"Please don't do this!"

"Four!"

"Who are you?"

"Five!"

Dominic could only look into Anemone's helpless eyes. Her lip was quivering, but she made no sound.

"Six!"

"Goddammit! I don't know!"

"Seven!"

"Look, can't we settle this in a different way? Can you put the gun down and we can negotiate."

"Eight!"

"Let her go! You know that if you kill her, I won't tell you!"

"You will tell me, Dominic, you will."

"You can't do this!"

"You don't think I'll do it? You think that I'm bluffing? You think that I won't kill this innocent woman because you won't give me information?!"

He then hit Anemone hard on the head. Anemone whimpered, but she was locked in the man's grip.

"Goddamn you!" Dominic exclaimed.

He moved forward, but he found the gun pointed at him.

"I will kill her!" said the man.

"You can't do this! You aren't going to get-"

_Bam!_

Anemone cried and tried to scream as blood poured out of her right leg where the man had shot her. Water immediately poured out of her eyes like a waterfall and she had a hopeless look deep inside of them. _Help!_ Is what they cried out.

"You-you goddamned son of a-"

_Bam!_

Dominic was blow back as the bullet hit his shoulder. He hit the wall and fell to the floor.

"You will tell…" said the man in a cold-hearted tone.

"I…don't…know…"

"Nine."

"No…No!"

"Ten…"

Dominic could see the loss of hope in Anemone's eyes. She had lost hope.

"Please!" Dominic begged. "Please…"

"Time's up."

"Wait-no!"

_Bam!_

_Deep breathing…deep breathing…I'm panting…It's dark…I can't see a thing…what time is it? Where am I?_

Thoughts raced through Dominic's mind. The room was pitch black. He felt warm. He was sweating. His heart was thudding in his chest.

_What had just happened?_

Then he remembered. He was talking to the man in the gasmask. He was yelling. They were arguing. He wanted something. He had been shot. Dominic felt his arm. There was no wound, no pain.

_A dream? _He thought.

He remembered Anemone's sad eyes, hopeless eyes.. His skin jumped. His arm was around something warm.

"Mmm…" grumbled a voice.

"Anemone?" he said.

"What's wrong Dominic?" Anemone asked in a very tired voice.

"Nothing…it was just a dream," he answered.

He fell back onto the bed with relief. It was only a mere nightmare. It didn't matter anymore now that he was awake. He was already starting to forget it. Dominic looked at the clock.

4:23 a.m.

Dominic sighed. It was already very early morning. He tried to drift back into sleep, but his mind would not let him. He arose from bed and went into the kitchen to find something to eat.

After what seemed like an hour or so, the sun rose to greet Dominic in the window and the beams of light flew into the room with a fiery glow. Dominic gulped down a cup of coffee and sat in his chair, waiting Anemone to wake. Dominic looked at the clock.

6:45a.m.

That's when the phone rang. At first, Dominic hesitated. It rang again and Dominic got up and answered it.

"Hello?" he asked.

"Hey, it's me, Seizo," answered Seizo's voice.

"Yeah?"

"We need you to come to the HQ ASAP."

"A mission?"

"Not right now, but there's something you have to see."

"Alright, I'll be there."

"See ya."

Dominic hung up and walked over into the bedroom. He looked at Anemone, but decided not to wake her. So he left her a note telling her that he had to run an errand and that he'd be right back. Then he dressed and left.

Chapter 17: Behind Dark Eyes

"Ha, ha! You're it!" yelled Ezer as he tagged his older sister.

"You can't catch me, Eli!" said Wiesel.

"No fair!" complained Eli.

"Alright, alright," said Roth as he entered the young children's room, "settle down, guys. No more tag. It's already eight o'clock, time for bed."

"Aww!" they all said.

"Can't we stay up just a little longer, Uncle Roth?" asked Eli.

"No, no, no," he said, "it's time to sleep."

Eli, Ezer, and Wiesel were Roth's three young niece, and nephews. Actually, they were his Cousin Sarah's children, but he considered them close family. Eli was the oldest with light brown hair and blue dark eyes. She was more mature for a seven-year-old, but she was still mischievous. Ezer was next, who was the main troublemaker. He would do all sorts of things that most six-year-olds wouldn't do like stick firecrackers in someone's mailbox and watch it explode. Wiesel was the youngest being five and he mainly followed Ezer in his mischievous operations. They were brats, but Roth loved them anyhow.

"Tell us a story!" Ezer said as he got into bed.

"Yeah, another story!" agreed Eli.

"I don't know…" said Roth.

"Pleeeease!" begged Wiesel. "Or else I won't go to bed."

"Alright," Roth gave in, "just one."

"Yay!" they all exclaimed.

"Alright….umm…let's see…" Roth said.

"You always take so long to get a story," said Eli.

"I have lots of stories," Roth told them, "but many of them…you won't understand until you get older."

"Then I'll tell you a story," Eka said as she walked into the room.

"Okay, you go ahead and do that," Roth said with a laugh.

"Once upon a time," Eka started, "there were three good, perfect, brave children named Eli, Ezer, and Wiesel."

The children leaned forward in their beds.

"Now, the three children," Eka continued, "lived in a big boring city. They wanted adventure so they got permission from their parents to set out on a magnificent journey around the world. They were able to get their own LFOs and they started to fly. They went from north to south, east to west, city to city, land, to land. They went everywhere and as they went, they collected all kinds of treasures and met all kinds of new people. They made many new friends and became heroes. It was a time of happiness and peace and everyone loved the three young children who lived happily ever after."

"Ooooo…" said all the children.

"No bad guys?" asked Ezer.

"Now is not the time to think about bad guys," Eka said.

She glanced at Roth.

"Can you tell us a longer story?" asked Wiesel.

"We have to go right now," Roth said. "We have to sleep, too."

"Awwww," the three awed.

"I'll tell you one tomorrow," Roth said. "It will be the longest story in the world!"

"Yay!" cheered Ezer.

"I wish I could travel around the world like in Aunty Eka's story," Eli said. "I am tired of this boring town!"

"I want an LFO!" Ezer added.

"You will when you're older and you work hard," Roth told them.

Eka tucked each of the children in and kissed them on the forehead. Roth loved how loving she acted toward them. He knew that Eka would want her own children soon enough. He knew that the three children in their beds would still be adventurous as ever. Eka came over to Roth and kissed him.

"Ewww…" ewed the children.

"It's not nasty," Roth said. "You've seen it in those movies you watch like _Sleeping Beauty _or _Snow White_. You'll understand kissing when you're older."

"There's a lot of stuff we need to know when we're older," Eli said.

"Yes there is," Roth said.

_Wop!_ A pillow flew into Roth's face.

"Hey, what was that for?" Roth asked.

"Sorry," said Ezer, "it was an _accident._"

They all giggled.

"I'll show you an _accident_!" Roth said with a big smile.

He started to tickle Ezer and the child squirmed around and giggled. Eli and Wiesel jumped on Roth's back and pounded on him.

"Raaah!" Roth roared playfully as he grabbed each child. "Now you all deserve a tickle!"

"Mercy! Mercy!" they screamed with excitement.

"Now, that's enough Roth," Eka said.

"Alright," Roth said disappointedly. "But I'll get you guys tomorrow."

He did the "_I'm watching you"_ gesture and they all laughed.

"Goodnight," Eka said as she held Roth's hand, turned off the light, and walked out the door.

"Goodnight!" the children called back.

Roth had a smile on his face because life seemed to be going so well, but that would all soon change. The next day he wouldn't be able to tell the children the longest story in the world because a mission came up. It was the mission that would change Roth's life even if he hadn't accepted it. Then the day came. Roth stared into the innocent eyes of the three children. They were afraid, so afraid. Their eyes were the eyes of those about to die…and die they did. He would never again see the joyful smile on their faces as he tickled them. They would never have the chance to fulfill their dream travel across the world.

Rothstock Steller laid back as his last memories of the three children flowed into his mind. Their eyes were the ones he saw in the three children in front on Eureka and Renton. Their eyes were what made him hesitate. He had almost forgotten Eli, Ezer, and Wiesel, but their faces came back to him like a haunting ghost. He took a deep breath and waited for Hyde to speak.

"You know," Hyde finally said, "Arner's pretty damn disgruntled about your actions so far. You've been acting rather oddly."

Steller didn't reply.

"You swore allegiance to him and you've always been loyal to him, me, and the rest of this corporation, but now I feel there is something wrong. It's your revenge isn't it? It still hasn't left you…"

"Why do you think my body is still functioning?" Steller replied.

"Revenge is not a priority in the current situation," Hyde told him. "All that's essential at the moment is our operation. I don't know why Arner hasn't asked you to retrieve the coralian yet, but he is the boss and we must follow his orders. You have just begun to disobey him and look what's happened to you. You're injured-a rare occurrence, but still consequential."

Hyde walked over to Steller and looked at his body.

"Luckily, no vital organs or explosives were damaged," he said "Do you feel pain?"

"Not anymore," answered Steller solemnly. "There's something wrong with me…I'm weaker…slower."

Hyde chuckled.

"That's because you're parts are years old. You've always been negligent and rejected my offers to replace them and now you've realized the consequence. You've never been damage this badly before. I'm surprised none of the detonators were damaged."

Hyde pulled a switch and a mechanical claw descended from the ceiling which removed Steller's suit. It then turned and unlatched Steller's arm.

"Hmm..." Hyde said as the arm was placed under a scanner. "He was using Type A bullets. Impressive."

Hyde studied the mechanical arm for a bit and then placed it on the counter of the lab.

"I have some new arms for you," he said. "They function better and are more flexible and efficient. They are reinforced with a mixture of titanium and diamond, but are fairly light weight. It is equipped with twistable wrists and a few gadgets. On each arm, from the upper part of the wrist and stored between the ulna and radius part of the arm is a retractable wristblade. Also, there is a grapple that can be fired from the bottom of your right wrist. It is capable of caring 500 pounds of weight and has 30 feet of indestructible wire. In the bottom of your left wrist is a retractable injection needle. It is equipped with tranquilizer, poison, and my favorite, truth serum. You can control all of these gadgets using neurotransmission like the rest of your body. You'll like it."

The claw removed Steller's other arm and then picked up two new ones and installed them onto his shoulders. Hyde then had Steller's legs replaced and the scientist rubbed his chin.

"Hmm…you might need a new drive," he said.

He then plugged wired into Steller's torso and went to the control panel.

"I'm now turning on the life-support system."

He pressed a button and a feeling of relaxation and relief surged through Steller's body. He felt as if he were full flesh again. Hyde latched open Steller's chest and pulled out the compac drive within.

"This drive is the only thing keeping that heart of yours pumping," Hyde said. "You need a new one."

He then reached into a case and a frosty mist came out. He looked around in it and pulled out a small comapc drive.

"Here we are," he said as he installed it into Steller's chest. "Now your body can work more sufficiently."

"Good…" Steller said quietly.

"Now there's one more thing," Hyde added. "Arner told you that we had a _present_, didn't he?"

"Yes."

"Well, it's an LFO. We've got you a new LFO. I'll show you once I mend your abdomen and give you the data needed."

"But I have no LFO pilot training."

"Yes, that's where the data comes in. I have a new method of transferring and storing information from one brain and giving it to another, _neurotransfering_. Thanks to a lovely coralian female, you will be able to have the skills you need to pilot an LFO. Oh, and we have two pilots who will be at your side."

"Teammates?" Steller asked. "No, I work-"

"Don't give me that 'I work alone' rubbish. These boys are good. You'll need the help. Don't worry; they can take care of themselves so they won't be a burden. It's Arner's orders."

"Fine," Steller said.

"Now I will transfer the LFO information into you mind and mend the rest of your body and you'll be off."

Hyde stuck an enormous plug into the back of Steller's head.

"You will loose your sight for a bit and it may be a tad bit painful, but it should work fine," Hyde told him.

Steller's vision blanked out and he could hear nothing, but his deep breathing. Then visions flashed before him, but they were only blurs of color across a black screen. It was as if a window had just opened and pictures lay before him. Not pictures of sight alone, but pictures of touch, thought, and sense. It was fourth-dimensional; years of experience flowed into his mind in a matter of seconds. Steller felt as though needles were piecing his skull rapidly. Finally, the he was unplugged and he sat up.

"Well?" asked Hyde.

Steller paused. At first, he couldn't remember anything. He couldn't remember his name, where he was, or why he existed, but then it all came back to him…and more. He all of a sudden remembered how to operate an LFO. He knew where each switch and each button was located. He knew what signals meant what. He knew every maneuver and every tactic. Everything.

"It worked…" he said.

"Good," Hyde said happily, "now I'll walk you over to the hanger and we'll take a look at your new prize. Arner and the other pilots will be waiting."

Hyde led Steller out of the room and they walked down to the hanger. Hyde opened the security door with his access card and Steller found himself gazing upon three black LFOs and Arner standing in front of them with his arms crossed.

"I've been waiting," Arner said. "You can explain everything, Dr. Hyde."

"Alright," Hyde said, "these are new and highly advanced LFOs that I've constructed. They are smaller than the average LFO and are more flexible. They are meant for stealth and are equipped with thin trappar boards, homing missiles, long range rifles, retractable wristblades, and EMP canons. There is a switch for night vision, infrared, and ultraviolet sight. They are equipped with a type of shield that prevents detection by any military radar or any other sensory array. They have a jet black coloring for night missions, but there is also a switch which will release a chemical on the special paint turning the coating white. Press the switch again and it will gradually turn back to its original color. I am currently working on an actual cloaking device, but it will take some time. They are based off of the Type Two PHANTOM. This is the new Fantom-X"

The LFOs were indeed a bit smaller than the average LFO and were less bulky. They were entirely black with a large black visor for eyes. The board attached to their backs was visible and they had no lights on them. They almost looked like giant humans in black armor.

"Interesting," Steller said without interest.

"Where are the pilots?" Hyde asked.

"They went on a break," Arner answered, "but you can hang around when they come back."

"Alright, stay here and you can meet them," Hyde told Steller.

He and Arner then walked off and exited the hanger. Steller went to the wall and leaned against it, barely glancing at the LFOs.

"He is acting strangely lately," Hyde told Arner as they walked down the hall.

"His anger is consuming him," Arner said. "That's why I hired two pilots to aid him. They will make sure he does what he is supposed to do. I never really had to monitor Steller before, but now is the time."

"We needn't worry too much about the coralian," Hyde said, "after all…we know exactly where she is."

"How is the VENOM?"

"It's stable. We need the Key, but if it is your plan to wait…then let it be, but may I ask why?"

"Now we know how difficult it is just to retrieve her. There are few who have knowledge relevant to our operations outside this corporation. If we simply act, they will know what to do. Now, they will be confused, but still, a predator doesn't simple pounce because he feels like it; he must wait for the right moment. Eureka is fine…let them believe that everything is alright. Let them settle their restless minds…then the time will be right."

"Everything is alright now," Talho told them calmly.

"Are you sure?" asked Maeter.

"Yes, you don't have to worry about that scary man anymore," Talho told them.

"Is he dead?" Linck asked.

Talho paused and bit her lip.

"Yes, he's dead and you don't have to worry about him anymore," she said calmly, but Maurice knew she was lying.

Maurice sat on the couch and looked up at the ceiling. He was just as confused as everyone else. He had no idea who that man was, what his objective was, or anything dealing with him at all. The dark gasmask seemed to haunt his memory like a possessing demon. He hadn't seen Mama or Renton since the man fled. They had stayed in that small storage room for what seemed like forever until Talho came to get them. Renton walked Eureka off to their room and Talho had brought Maurice, Maeter, and Linck to the lounge. Maurice didn't know what happened to the rest of the crew, buthe heard that some people were injured.

"Is everybody okay?" Maeter asked.

"Everyone will be fine," Talho said again, but again Maurice could see her biting her lip.

"Is the ship damaged?" Linck asked.

"Only the bridge area, but it's being fixed right now," Talho replied.

"Is everything alright in here?" asked a man in a navy blue uniform who stood by the doorway.

"Yes, officer, everything is alright," Talho informed him.

The man nodded and walked away. Maurice was still staring at the ceiling.

_Why am I still getting this feeling?_ He asked himself,_ something is wrong…every time the feeling gets worse and worse. What is going to happen?_

"Hey, I think that's him," said a voice, but Steller didn't look to see who had spoken.

"I don't know…" said another voice. "He looks kinda creepy…maybe we should talk to him later."

"Oh common, Hiro, don't be coward," said the first voice.

"Oh, please don't say anything to provoke him…"

"Hey!" called the first man and Steller looked to see two men walking towards, the second one was more of being dragged toward him.

It was obvious that these were the pilots because of their uniforms, but Steller didn't like them by one glance. The first man was tall with short, really short, dark blonde hair and green eyes. He had a cocky and obnoxious smile and looked like he was in his mid-twenties. The second man was shorter and looked around eighteen or twenty. He didn't look to strong and he had messy black hair and blue eyes. He reminded Steller of Renton in a few ways.

"What do you want?" Steller asked coldly as he turned his head away.

"You're our companion right?" asked the tall man.

"Yes…" replied Steller.

"I'm Ben, Bennington Park," said the tall man, "and this is my new pal. Hiro."

Hiro nodded and tried not to look a Steller.

"Steller…" Steller said.

"Steller? Ah, I've heard about you," said Ben. "The guards and soldiers have been mentioning you here and there. They call you the-"

"Soulless killer?" finished Steller. "Yes, I know…I've heard it all…Then again, maybe they're right…They are right, I have no soul. My soul died a long time ago, along with the souls of those I love. My soul is dead and all that is left is this empty shell of flesh and machine…This shell lives on to carry out what must be finished."

Steller stared blankly at his hand which he raised in front of his face. He revolved his wrist so that it spun all the way around unnaturally, but it was all machine. The two pilots looked at it curiously and Hiro gulped.

"Um…that wasn't really what I was going to say," Ben said. "They call you the 'sleepless assassin'."

"Sleepless?" asked Steller.

He chuckled though it was an empty chuckle. It was the chuckle of a man who was dead.

"I am sleepless," Steller continued. "There's no time to sleep. The dead do not sleep, but this body will sleep once it's dead…once its purpose is fulfilled. Though…sometimes I may enter a subconscious state…sometimes I dream, but they are meaningless dreams, empty."

The two stared at him even more curiously, but with awkward looks as if they didn't understand a word.

"But my dreams…" Steller continued, "are not as empty…as my conscience seems to be…I have hours….only lonely….my love is vengeance…that's never free."

Steller stood up straight from the wall and walked away. He was done chatting and he already knew that the pilot were useless.

"W-what did he say?" asked Hiro as Steller strode away.

"Dunno," said Ben, "something about death and vengeance…weird guy."

"I'm glad you could make it," Seizo said as Dominic walked in.

"So, what is it?" asked Dominic.

Seizo told him to follow and they walked along into the hanger area of the base. They walked past several KLFs and the stopped in front of three dark grey LFOs that were lined against the wall with several men working on it.

"Ah, you're here," said a man.

Dominic recognized the man as Dr. Enson, the one who had given him the shot for his wounded arm. He was still wearing the same lab coat and had the same cheerful look.

"Hello, Dr. Enson," Dominic said.

"It seems that your arm has healed well." Enson replied. "We ran more tests on the formula and it is ready for use. Here is a kit with two syringes, four vials, and a few bandages. It is standard for each SOF operative to carry one now."

Enson handed Dominic a small case with a red cross on it.

"Um…What are you doing here?" asked Dominic.

"I work for the Tresor Research Institute," answered Enson. "We have currently been operating on these new LFOs before you. They're yours, if Seizo hasn't told you."

Dominic looked at the grey LFOs. It was standard for SOF combat operatives to have the capability of LFO piloting and Dominic had a lot of training, but the third SOF squad was given no LFOs. There wasn't much need for LFOs for the team anyhow, but now was the time. Dominic set his eyes upon his new LFO.

"We started of as ground reconnaissance operatives," Seizo told Dominic, "but since we now only have three teammates left we were given position as LFO forces. You should still remember the training.

"We finally have some new LFOs," Seizo said.

"Yes," Enson said, "these are the new MC-505s, part of a new line of LFOs. They are somewhat like typeR505s. They have a large array of weaponry including rocket launchers, cluster bombs, detonators, lasers, machine gun, boomerang knives and more, but it is still light weight and very maneuverable. It will be the new standard SOF LFO, but these are some of the only few released so far. We would've given them a nice paintjob, but we'd like you to test them first."

The MC-505s were the same size as most LFOs and had the same structure of skinny legs with a bulky torso and large shoulders. They had medium size heads with two blue eyes and the cockpit directly behind.

"Alright," Dominic said.

Enson then gave several more descriptions about the LFOs and how they were constructed, but Dominic found little interest in it. He kept thinking about Dr. Enson's connection to the mystery. When the Dominic had told the man in the black mask Enson's name the first word he said was "traitor". As Enson finished and began to walk away, Dominic walked up to him and put his hand on Enson's shoulder.

"Can I talk to you for a moment?" Dominic asked.

"Sure," Enson replied, "I have all the time in the world. Is it relevant to the formula I gave you?"

"Not really," Dominic told him awkwardly, "but who exactly do you work for?"

"I said it before: the Tresor Science facility. I am one of the head researchers there and we are currently undergoing some classified operations."

"Have you worked anywhere else before Tresor?"

"Um…nowhere of great importance."

"Do you happen to know anything about a mysterious man in a black gasmask?"

"I would not know of such a man. Why?"

"Just…just wondering. Look, there-"

"I'm sorry, Captain Dominic, but I haven't much time. I really have to go; we can chat another time."

"Alright…"

Dr. Enson had an awkward look on his face as he walked off. Dominic knew that something was wrong. Something isn't right when one says, "I have all the time in the world" before a conversation then says, "I haven't much time" in the middle. Another load was added to the pile of mysteries. Dominic wanted to know more. Currently, he knew almost nothing. It wasn't exactly his place to know it all, but nevertheless, his thirst for knowledge wasn't satisfied. He wanted to protect himself and more importantly, he wanted to protect Anemone. Bits of his nightmare still lingered in the back of his mind.

"Are you okay?" asked Seizo anxiously. "You're staring off into space."

Dominic shook his head abruptly.

"Oh, I'm okay. It's just…nothing, it's nothing," he answered calmly.

"Alright, we just need to run a few tests on the LFO and you can leave, Captain," Seizo told him.

"Are you sure that everything will proceed as planned?" asked Hyde.

"Failure is not an option," Arner told him, "failure is _never_ an option, not for this corporation that is."

Arner was determined. He wouldn't fail, he couldn't fail, and he shouldn't fail. Everything was going well; there were a few minor defects such as Steller, but Arner wouldn't let that get in the way. He would gain control even if it cost him the whole corporation. His life was dedicated to his plans and he was prepared for everything and anything, but still, he had his doubts.

"What about your _promise?"_ Hyde asked curiously.

"I will keep my promise," Arner told him. "Do not worry."

"They will attempt to kill you if you do not fulfill what you've promised them. It isn't wise to betray such…fiends."

"Those fiends are merely tools, tools which I won't need at the moment. They appear strong, but they are weak and afraid. For if they were the opposite they would be here fighting right now. I will not betray them and they will not betray me."

"They do not keep complete trust in you."

"Neither do I in them. If they make one wrong move, I will break them. Let's not worry about them for now."

"Yes, sir."

Everything seemed simple, but he knew it would become more complicated later on. The path to victory would soon become very crooked. There would also be many forks and quite a few potholes, but Arner would tread along the path with the absence of fear and weakness. For to falter or stumble, meant imminent and defeat.

"So, you guys are the new pilots, eh?" said a man with an unshaven face, short hair, and dull look who was dressed in a black pilot uniform, walking up to Steller. "You can call me Hawk. Don't worry; I know all your names. I'm the head of the DS LFO forces. So I guess you guys are the rookies. Well, since you've gotten these new LFOs you ought to test them. There's a military base, Bastion Base, about five hundred miles from here, but we can get you there fast. The base has just got a new shipment of LFOs, weapons, machinery, and other goods. This stuff is almost as good as ours. We need you to get rid of it, all of it. That's all."

"How do you advise us on attacking the base?" asked Steller.

"Do whatever you please," Hawk answered. "Remember, you're testing out the LFOs…so have some fun."

"That doesn't sound like too much," Ben said in a cocky voice.

"Who knows," Hawk said, "but if you fail, the corporation will be highly disappointed."

"I won't fail," Steller said.

"_We _won't fail," Ben said.

Steller glanced eerily back at him and Ben bit his lip uneasily.

"Alright, you'll be leaving in a few minutes," Hawk told them.

Steller didn't give a damn about Ben or Hiro. He was already beginning to forget their names. All he wanted was accomplish what he was ordered to do and ultimately complete his goal, vengeance. It never mattered if he lived or died. He was already dead inside and he was almost invincible. Though, he needed his body to live on in order to fulfill his goal. Yet, parts of life still came back to him as haunting memories; unforgotten and unforgiving.

"Are you ready?" asked the LFO launching operator.

"Yes," answered Steller as he sat buckled tightly in the Fantom-X cockpit.

Steller looked down the long launching tunnel. It was a quarter-mile metal tube that faced upward at a twenty-five degree angle. Steller could see bright light shining through the exit of the tunnel. There was a loud drone and magnetic energy shot the Fantom out of the tunnel at mach 5 speed. The other Fantoms piloted by Ben and Hiro were immediately launched after so that the team flew through the air five times the speed of sound in a triangle formation. Though the launch only caused a small jolt in the body and it barely felt like they were moving at all as they zoomed through the sky.

"Everything alright?" asked Hawk over the radio.

"Everything's fine," answered Ben in an excited tone.

"You might want to activate the white cloaking," Hawk advised them. "Good luck!"

Steller and the others flipped the cloaking switch and the outside of the LFO gradually faded until it was completely white. It was lucky that there were many clouds that day. After a few minutes, their speed slowly diminished and they detached their boards and slipped them under the LFOs feet. Steller was able to ride smoothly on the trappar and so did the other, but Ben kept performing stunts to chow off.

"Don't be so arrogant," Steller told him. "The battle is about to begin."

Finally, Bastion Base came into view. It was a fairly large base with the typical military look: grey buildings, enormous runways and fields, LFOs and vehicles parked or driving all here and there, and heavy defense systems.

"Those are MV-8000 antiaircraft canons," Ben pointed out. "So far, the cloaking is working, we haven't been detected, but if we are, 5 ft long, highly explosive bullets are going to fly straight at us. Not to mention laser too."

"Then let's hope the most arrogant of the group doesn't blow our cover," Steller said.

Ben mumbled something angrily, but Steller didn't care. They headed toward the base until they were directly over it.

"I'm going for the main power generator!" Ben claimed through the radio.

"Wait!" Steller called, but Ben ignored it and the Ben's Fantom stretched out its arms shot an EMP blast.

"You getting the hang of it?" asked Seizo as Dominic climbed out of the cockpit of the MC-505. Dominic still remembered the training and he was able to fly the LFO smoothly through the air. It wasn't too difficult, but he knew if would be intense during missions.

"I've had some experience with LFOs," Seizo said. "There was this one time when-"

"Hey!" called out a voice from one of the guards.

Suddenly, there was a loud electric zapping noise and an explosion. Seizo, Naomi and Dominic looked around.

"What's going on?" asked Dominic.

"The power's down!" yelled a worker who left the building.

"EMERGENCY POWER ON," announced a speaker.

Immediately, an alarm sounded.

"ALERT! ALERT! THE BASE IS UNDER ATTACK! SOLDIERS TO YOUR BATTLE STATIONS! THIS IS NOT A DRILL!"

"What the hell?!" Seizo exclaimed.

"Prepare for battle!" called out a pilot as he jumped into his KLF.

Dominic, Seizo, and Naomi obeyed his command and jumped into the cockpits of the MC-505s. Dominic strapped himself down and turned on all the circuits. He suddenly had the alarmed feeling some get before battle. The hairs on his skin were standing on end. The thought ran through his mind: _could this have any connection to the mystery?_ The base was one of the most secure places in the world. He wondered how an enemy could attack undetected.

"See anything?" asked Naomi as they launched themselves off the ramp.

"Nothing on radar," answered Seizo. "What the hell? Maybe it was a long-range attack."

Suddenly an LFO next to them split in two vertically

"What? Did you see that?" asked Dominic.

"Captain, I think I saw something," Naomi informed, "I believe it's a white LFO."

"Damn these clouds!" swore Seizo in a frustrated tone.

"I got em' on target!" called Seizo.

He immediately started following something through the air. At first, Dominic only saw a blank sky, but then he noticed a trappar wave flowing across and a white silhouette of an LFO. Another KLF exploded nearby and Naomi dashed toward the area of the explosion.

"See another one!" announced Naomi.

Suddenly Dominic saw something white speeding toward him. He equipped his boomerang knives and blocked a large blade that was stabbed toward him. Dominic then slashed forward, but the enemy dodged his attack and flew off. He could see the enemy more clearly when at close range and he followed its trappar waves. It spun around several times and fired multiple shots, but Dominic was able to maneuver out of its range. He then fired several missiles, but the white LFO evaded all of it and charged back at Dominic, this time, slashing the MC-505 on the side.

"Damn!" cursed Dominic.

_Anemone has no idea what I'm in right now,_ he thought.

A red light flashed to show that he had been damaged, but it wasn't too critical.

"You okay, Captain?" asked Naomi.

"Yeah!" answered Dominic.

"Who are these guys?" asked Seizo.

A hanger below Dominic exploded and Dominic flipped around and fired at an incoming enemy. The enemy was hit twice by the machinegun fire, but shot two missiles at him. Dominic tried to perform an evasive action, but the missiles homed toward him. He flew left and right, but the missiles kept on his tale.

"Get these missiles off me!" Dominic ordered.

"I can't!" Seizo said. "This guy's hitting me over and over again!"

Dominic spun and both missiles on his tale collided with each other and exploded. Out of the explosion came a white LFO and it spun and smashed its board against the MCs chest. Dominic spun out of control.

"Ha! These guys can't do crap!" Ben commented loudly.

"That's the last of the KLFs," Hiro said. "It's three-on-three."

"Good," Steller said.

The LFO in front of him was spinning out of control from when Steller had hit it. Then Steller smashed his wristblade into the LFOs chest and pounded it into the ground. The LFO smashed its fist at Steller and he flew through the air and landed on a building. The enemy fired several missiles and bombs at him, but Steller was quick enough to get up and veer to the side.

"There are still some anti-air guns!" Hiro said as he dodged heavy fire.

"Take them out!" ordered Ben.

"I can't, I'm being chased!" Hiro told him.

Ben and Hiro were caught in combat with the other two grey LFOs. Steller lifted into the air and dodged more attacks by his opponent. Steller flew over several turrets and blasted them to pieces then turned and swung his blades at his opponent. The LFO blocked his attacks again and Steller swooped to the left and attacked once more only to be blocked again. They flew through the air like birds and circled the area. He wanted to get it over with fast.

"I'm hit!" Naomi cried as she was blasted with a EMP blast.

Naomi fell to the ground and her attacker stuck out a long blade, ready to charge at her. Dominic charged at his opponent and knocked him aside. He then charge toward Naomi's attacker and threw his boomerang knives. The knives flew through the air and sliced both the white LFO's arms clean off.

"Gotcha!" Dominic said as the white LFO jolted backwards.

"Help! Critical damage!" yelled Hiro.

Steller looked to see that both his LFO's arms had been but off.

"Got him!" said Ben as his opponent fell to the ground from several missile hits.

"Get the kid and take him out of here!" Steller ordered Ben.

Ben fired several EMP blasts at the last LFO, but the LFO dodged it. Ben then grabbed Hiro and started to fly off.

"What about you?" asked Ben.

"Leave me. I can do the mission alone!" Steller told him.

As Ben and Hiro flew off, Steller found himself facing the last LFO at the other end of the base. Steller waited then charged toward it as it charged towards him, both had their blades equipped. They made contact and both LFOs pierced each other at the abdomen area. Oil spilled out everywhere. Steller managed to push himself away, but he could no longer fight. He then flew off after Hiro and Ben.

_Damn! _Steller thought,_ It was harder than I thought…mission failed, but it doesn't matter right now_.

"Is everything fine?" asked Renton as Talho came into the room to check on Eureka and him.

"Everything is…alright," she answered.

It was five hours after the stunning attack on the Gekko. The crew and ship were no longer in jeopardy, but tranquility wasn't a present factor in the Gekko-Go. Holland had suffered injuries, but Renton didn't know the details. The rest of the team was fine: Hap suffered from a minor concussion, but he was in a normal state, Ken-Goh had been knocked unconscious, but he was now walking, and Gidget had to wear a bandage on her arm. The crew was a little uneasy, but they dealt with the situation steadily. The three kids were acting like the whole turmoil was only a trifle. The Gekko was set for emergency repairs and high security.

"Everything will be alright, Eureka," Renton told Eureka as she lay on the bed as Talho left.

Eureka was the one who had been the most affected. She was still a little shocked and went into an insecure and depressed state again. She just lay there on the bottom bunk of their quarters in a subconscious state.

"That's what you always say," Eureka replied quietly. "Then it all goes wrong again."

"Nothing too bad has happened," Renton told her though he knew he was wrong.

"Something will…"

"I will always be here for you."

"I know."

Renton gently grasped Eureka's hand as she stared at the wall blankly.

"What do you think is happening?" asked Eureka gloomily.

"I don't know," answered Renton.

"We never know…but it's just that…"

"What was that, Eureka?"

"Nothing…"

"Please tell me."

"Nevermind."

"What's wrong, Eureka?"

"Nothing is wrong."

"Eureka, I've been with you for almost two years. I know when something is wrong."

"Then why, Renton?" Eureka asked as she sat up. "Then why? Why can't you tell me what's wrong? Why can't you tell me what's wrong with me?!"

Renton was a shocked by her reaction. Her voice had anger within and her eyes showed a mixture of frustration, fear, and confusion.

"Eureka…" Renton said.

"Why can't you tell me anything? Why? Why? Why? Why must everything be like this?! You just don't understand! Everything is so difficult, but you try to make it simple!"

"Eureka!" Renton exclaimed.

He found himself grasping her hand tighter.

"Why don't you know anything, Renton?!" she asked angrily.

"Eureka, what's wrong with you?"

"That's what I want you to tell me! Weren't you listening? I thought you said that you'd be here for me, but you're not even listening!"

"I'm trying, Eureka, but you-you're acting strange!"

"Acting strange?! What is strange?! Nothing makes sense anymore!"

"Of course it doesn't, but I'm only trying to make it all better!"

"You're not!"

"It's difficult, Eureka!"

"Then leave me alone!"

Renton found his hand in a fist, but then he realized what he was doing and relaxed his hand. He then swiftly let go of Eureka's hand and felt a sudden pain. Not through his body, but in his heart. Something was wrong with Eureka, but he couldn't concentrate on it.

Eureka stood and turned away from Renton, staring at the wall. Renton also stood, but faced away from her toward the exit of the room. Renton paused. He thought he heard it, maybe it was just his imagination, but he heard a faint sob. He knew that Eureka had tears in her eyes even if he did imagine it. Renton wanted to comfort her, but something pulled the thought away. A wall seemed to separate them. Renton simply walked out of the room and down the hall, not even glancing at the three children who had been eavesdropping by the doorway. Something inside Renton was occurring…something was crumbling.

"Where the hell have you been?!" asked Anemone as Dominic entered the apartment.

It was already late in the day and Dominic was extremely exhausted.

"I was…at work," he answered slowly.

"Oh, and what were you doing there?" asked Anemone in a _you've-been-up-to-no-good_ tone.

"It's nothing," Dominic said as he took off his coat.

Anemone approached Dominic and stood close to him. At first, he thought she was going to hug him, but then he realized that she was smelling his clothes.

"You smell like…" she started.

"I smell like crap," Dominic said. "I know."

Dominic hadn't had time to shower at HQ because he wanted to get home as soon as possible.

"Why?"

"I…"

"You?"

"I…I was at the HQ and they were showing me some knew stuff."

"Like?"

"Stuff…"

Anemone leered at him with frustration and suspicion that made him uneasy.

"We have some new equipment," he told her generally.

"Like what?"

Dominic's mind was still clouded by flashbacks of the battle, the mystery. Everything became more confusing.

"Umm…LFOs." He answered abruptly.

"You have LFOs?!" she asked, surprised, but not at all happy.

"Yeah, I'll tell you about it later. I have to take a shower."

"Why do you smell like oil? LFO oil?"

Of course Anemone, being the former pilot of theEND would know the smell of a damaged LFO.

"There was an oil spill."

Dominic had no intentions of telling her the truth. So many times had he lied to her before. It always hurt him before, but now he knew that it was because he loved her. It was for her protection and a little bit of his protection from her complaints and anger.

"Tell me everything, right now!" Anemone demanded him angrily.

"Not now."

"Do you love me?"

"Of course I love you."

"Then why the hell do you keep doing this to me?"

"What?"

"Running off."

"It's my job."

"So I'm not important enough?"

The argument was getting heated.

"Of course you are important. You're the most import-"

"Then why didn't you at least tell me?!"

"I left a note!"

Anemone already had tears in her eyes and her face revealed more worry than anger.

"That note is nothing! It's crap! Dominic, you are so full of-"

Before he knew it, Dominic had Anemone locked in his arms with his lips glued to hers. At first, she was surprised, but then she relaxed and wrapped her arms around his neck. It lasted for quite a while, as it seemed. Then Dominic pulled back a centimeter or two.

"You okay, now?" he asked her calmly.

"Yes…yes," she answered slowly.

Dominic kissed her once more and brought her into the bedroom to have a little time with her, closing the door behind him.

"Failure…" Arner said slowly. "It's beginning to reek."

"Shall I bring them in, sir?" asked Hyde.

"No," Arner replied. "I don't want to speak with them. Not now. What is behind all this failure? It was their first mission. Their first goddamn easy-as-hell mission…but they return with failure."

"They did manage to destroy quite a few KLFs, defense systems, hangers, and other buildings," Hyde told him.

"I don't care! Steller hasn't failed me this much before and these two pilots are supposed to be elite!"

"They were, sir, they scored A's in the training simulation."

"I don't give a rat's ass! Failure is failure. This is unacceptable!"

"Well, sir, the enemy did have new LFOs and a few new pilots, ones that could rival our pilots."

"Then blow them all to hell! Deploy the ships and obliterate them!"

"Sir, that is such irrational behavior."

Arner paced around his office with fast steps.

"You…you're right…" he said, "I just need to calm…I don't know what has gotten into me lately. Everything seems to be becoming more difficult than planned."

"It will all turn out successful in the end, sir," Hyde said.

Arner sat in his chair and looked at the gloomy sky through the giant window in the ceiling.

"I must think straight," Arner said. "I must concentrate. There shall be no irrational moves. I am not a fool…not like Dewey. I am a well-organized, intelligent, former military general…this will succeed."

"We did pretty well," Ben said as Steller leaned against the wall in the exact same spot as before.

He knew that Ben was disappointed and afraid of punishment, but the cocky amateur didn't want to show it.

"We failed," Steller said.

"So what?" said Ben cockily.

"Failure is not taken submissively in this corporation," Steller warned him. "One small failure can mean a prodigious and fiasco. Arner takes such things not so lightly."

"We'll see," Ben said as he walked off to look for Hiro.

Steller didn't care about the detriment he had faced. It was only a minor loss that needed little attention though he knew Arner would be utterly disappointed and unsatisfied. Though, Arner wouldn't punish Steller. He couldn't. He never had. Steller could so easily kill Arner in his office, but there would be no gain in that. If Arner died then the corporation would fall and Steller needed the corporation. It provided him with everything he needed to keep his engine of a body running and his quest for vengeance slowly edging to accomplishment.

As for Ben and Hiro, Steller had no interest in. They were only a burden, but he worked with them only because he was trying to earn back his trust from Arner, his loyalty. The two colleagues were juvenile, naïve, and stupid in Steller's view. It mattered not what he said to them and what they said to him. He tried to show at least one percent of friendliness, but kindness and affection was not a part of Steller anymore. It had died a long time ago with the rest of him. Like he had told himself millions of times before, "nothing matters anymore".

Chapter 18:

"What do you need me for?" asked Holland as he walked into the room.

"Oh just a few things," replied Dewey calmly. "Something's come to surface."

"Dewey…" Holland said slowly and suspiciously, "There are rumors spreading about you…people are saying things…"

Dewey turned slowly and glared at his younger brother with eyes like an x-ray scanning a body. He was trying to see through Holland. Holland could feel his watchful eyes as Holland turned his head away. He still despised his brother as much as he loved him.

"Oh, really?" asked Dewey with assertively, but unsurprised.

"They say that you're planning something that the other officer's don't have knowledge of," Holland told him slowly. "They say you are up to something."

"Who?" asked Dewey cautiously. "Does this have anything to do with General Arner?"

"General who?"

"Nevermind…"

"What exactly is it that you're doing?" Holland found himself asking awkwardly.

"And what concern would it be to you?" asked Dewey.

"Just…curiosity."

"My, my…my curious baby brother…"

"Does this have anything to do with the Scab?"

"Why would you say that?"

"You've always talked about how you could get rid of the Scab Coral if you could…is this-"

"Do you not have a mission to embark upon?" asked Dewey uneasily.

"But you summoned me!" Holland said with frustrated.

"I have no more need to talk to you, Holland. So leave me."

And with that, Holland left with many suspicious thoughts running through his mind.

Holland lay there in darkness with memories of his brother flashing through his mind.

_What does it mean?_ He asked himself, _does Dewey have a connection to all this?_

Holland sat up and looked around. He was sitting in the hospital room of the Gekko-Go.

_What happened?_ He asked himself.

Holland then remembered the dark gasmask and the burst of gunfire. He felt a sudden sting in his chest and realized that there was a bandage there were he had been sliced. He quickly got out of the bed, but found that he was weak. His legs felt as if they would collapse and fall apart onto the floor. His head had a spinning feeling and it hurt when he walked, but he limped on.

"What the hell are you doing?" asked Talho as she walked up to Holland in the hallway.

"I…need to…make sure it's….all…okay," he was weak and deep breathing dominated his mouth, pushing away much of his speech.

"You need to rest!" Talho demanded.

"No…" Holland protested weakly.

"Everything is taken care of," Talho told him. "You're injured. Go back to bed."

"Not…yet…"

Holland found himself back in bed after Talho had forcefully, but gently dragged him back. After Holland's second attempt, he found himself strapped to the bed by two thick belts.

"Wait!" Holland cried as Talho began to leave.

"No," she answered, "I'm not letting you out until you've rehabilitated."

"I…I need."

"Water?"

"No," answered Holland slowly. "I'm…I'm…"

"Bleeding? Sick? Tired? Hungry? Thirsty?"

"Itchy…"

Holland moved his anchored hands around helplessly.

"Where?" asked Talho.

"My…my…"

"Yes?"

"My crotch really itches."

Talho sighed.

"Well, you're going to have to deal with it," she said.

Then she left Holland alone. He knew that she would have stayed (maybe not to scratch his crotch) but he knew that she had a lot to do with everything damaged and maybe in chaos. Holland just laid his head back and tried to sleep, but he was still disturbed.

"Damn it itches!" Holland said.

Dominic lay in bed staring at the ceiling. He tried to form shaped on the blankness of it, but unwanted images always appeared. Anemone was fast asleep, but Dominic couldn't find any rest. He was now thinking about the earlier battle and the aftermath.

Much of the base had been damaged and nothing was known about the attackers. Many squads were sent to search the area, but it seemed futile. No one knew how or why it happened, but their objective was obviously to cause destruction. Seizo and Naomi were alright, but their LFOs were damaged. Thirty men were killed, fourteen critically wounded, and a few had minor injuries. The mysteries just kept adding up and adding up like a dump that was constantly filled by infinite junk, but no junk removed.

Dominic turned on the television and watched a documentary on different types of skyfish until he finally dozed off.

Six Days Later…

"Are you feeling alright, Renton?" asked Gidget as she saw Renton just leaning against the wall in the middle of the hallway with his eye closed shut.

"I'm fine," Renton said in a quite miserable voice.

"Okay," said Gidget as she walked off, looking back once.

Six days had passed since he had quarreled with Eureka. The Gekko-Go had been repaired swiftly and was now cruising through the air to a random destination. The Federation had offered military guardians and escort ships, but Holland complained that it was too much of a hassle and would be a burden; Holland's pride. The inspection continued as to who was after Gekkostate and why, but nothing had appeared yet. Holland wanted to make sure nothing got to the press. The public was told that there had been a weapons malfunction that damaged the Gekko-Go, but the government was uneasy about giving a cover-up. The rest of Gekkostate had recovered from the incident in three days and acted as if nothing had happened. Renton had a feeling that he knew why.

Renton hadn't spoken to Eureka since the argument. He had only seen her a few times, but they avoided each other and ceased to make eye contact. Days seemed longer and tedious to Renton. He wondered if it was the same for Eureka. Renton found himself sleeping in a different bunk than Eureka. He thought that he should just leave her alone for a while. He had noticed that she hadn't been wearing he ring lately and it bothered him.

There were a few minor things that disturbed his thoughts, but the one thing that intruded his state of mind the most was the dream he had the night before. It was an eluding dream; something that Renton knew had a meaning. It was clear in his mind: He was standing in a wasteland. A place he did not recognize, but he knew where he was. He was standing in the middle of a sandy desert. Sand dunes were the only visual attractions, but vision was not a strong factor due to the sandstorm that blew sand through the air. Renton was alone in the land of nothingness with wind whipping against him, cutting his skin like tiny blades.

He soon walked over a hill of sand and found himself standing in a vast flat plain of sand; it went as far as the eye could see. Sand still flung at him from the side, but he caught a glimpse of something in the distance, not too far. It was a figure, a person. The turquoise and white clothing along with the aqua/teal hair revealed immediately that it was Eureka. Renton abruptly rushed toward Eureka. He wasn't to far when there was an explosion overhead. Sand between Renton and Eureka burst upward like a splash of water from the explosion. Renton gazed up to see two massive shapes flying through the air. Something was happening above.

Then he saw what it was. There were two of them, two mighty LFOs. The one he noticed first was a colossal black LFO that was twice the size of a normal LFO. The second was a silver LFO, being only about two thirds the size of its black opponent. The LFOs were locked in combat. Every few seconds they would swoop down about twenty feet above Renton and clash blades, sending sparks and sand flying everywhere. The LFOs would then fly back and then come back down in a perpetual repeating pattern. Renton looked at Eureka who was just kneeling in the sand with her head held low. She seemed oblivious to everything that befell in the area. Renton tried to call out, but the clash of the LFOs and the wind muffled his voice. He didn't think she could hear him anyhow. Then, without warning, the LFOs clashed once more, this time causing an explosion that sent both LFOs collapsing right on top of Eureka and Renton. Then Renton woke…

"Banana banana banana banana banana banana de ba-na-na!" sang Maeter as she drew on a piece of paper lying on the floor.

"What are you singing?" asked Linck who was lying next to Maeter on the floor.

"Banana Banana!" replied Maeter happily. "Banana wa doushite kiiroi no?"

Maeter sang on and on about bananas as Maurice lied on the couch staring at his lucky compac drive, the one he had kept since the Second Summer of Love. It still had "Eureka 3 Renton" in it, but for some reason, Maurice thought it appeared different. Maybe it was fading. Yes, it seemed to be more faded than before.

Maurice had pondered upon what had occurred earlier in the day. Mama and Renton had been talking loudly in the room and Renton came out with a depressed look glued on his face as he walked away. Maurice had asked Mama what was wrong, but she just told them that Renton was a little scared of what had happened and that was all. Maeter and Linck were relieved of worry at that point, but Maurice was still haunted by the feeling of an impending catastrophe. It lingered over him like a dark cloud.

"Something wrong, Maurice?" asked Maeter after she had finished her obnoxious song.

"No," Maurice replied as he sat up and shook the thought from his mind.

He then noticed something underneath the couch. It appeared to be some sort of book. Maurice pulled it out and found that it was the latest copy of _ray=out_, but what he noticed most of all was the cover picture, a picture of Mama and Renton with their lips touching.

"Ew…" Maeter said as she looked at the picture. "Are Mama and Renton kissing?"

"Ew!" said Linck.

"Lemme see that," said Matthieu who was sitting nearby with Moondoggie as he swiped the magazine out of Maurice's hands. "You kids don't need to see that kind of stuff."

"I think I'm old enough," protested Maurice.

"Yeah right," said Matthieu.

"I'm not a little kid or a baby anymore!" argued Maurice.

"Hey, Moondoggie," said Maeter.

"Yes," answered Moondoggie.

"Where do babies come from?" she asked.

Dead silence.

"Huh?" asked Moondoggie, turning a little red at the cheeks and looking at Matthieu. Matthieu started giggling.

"Where do babies come from?" Maeter asked once again.

Maurice had never thought about that. Where did babies come from? He had asked Talho before when Charles was in her stomach, but she never quite explained how the baby got in there. He received a simple "You'll find out when you're older."

"The skyfish come by and drop it at the mama and papa's house!" explained Matthieu.

"Please," said Maurice, "that's stupid."

"Fine, Doggie you do the honors," Matthieu said.

Moondoggie paused.

"Well," he started as the kids leaned closer, "a boy and a girl fall in love…then they become men and women…and when a man and a women love each other very much…they…"

Moondoggie looked at Matthieu who was holding in his laughter.

"They?" asked the children simultaneously.

"They," continued Moondoggie, "get jiggy with it…"

Matthieu let out a cry of laughter.

"Jiggy with it?" asked Maurice awkwardly.

"Jiggy?" asked Maeter, confused.

"They…" continued Moondoggie, "get down with it, do it, have each other, special time."

"Special time?" asked Linck, bewildered.

"Uh…yeah," said Moondoggie who sounded like he was uncomfortable discussing it.

"Peanut butter jelly time!" chuckled Matthieu.

"Peanut butter jelly time?" asked Maeter with a giggle.

It sounded funny to Maurice, but it was still stupid.

"You know what," Moondoggie said, "ask your mama or Renton."

"Okay!" agreed Maeter and she ran off with Linck and Maurice following leaving Matthieu and Moondoggie left laughing their brains out.

Eureka stared at the girl in front of her. She had the same eyes, the same lips, the same hair, the same face, but who was she? Was her reflection really her? Eureka touched the mirror then placed her hand on her forehead. Her head ached and she blamed it on her constant thoughts of her quarrel with Renton.

She hadn't wanted to fight with him. She wouldn't have fought, but something inside her urged anger to burst out. She was confused, Renton was confused. Confusion seemed to be the only state of mind every day. Just like a year before…maybe worse. She decided not to talk to Renton for the time being. She didn't want to frighten him with the things she had befallen her over the past few days. She felt sick, not a physical sickness at the moment, but mental sickness. Something in her mind was ready to give away.

"Mama!" called the three children as the burst through the bathroom door.

"Is something wrong?" she asked.

"We have question!" Maeter announced excitedly.

"Oh really?" Eureka said, trying her best to smile.

"Yeah! Yeah!" agreed Linck.

"Well, what is it?" Eureka asked.

"What's _peanut butter jelly time_?" asked Linck excitedly.

Eureka paused for a moment with a confused look on her face.

"I…" she started, "I guess it has something to do with food."

"What about _getting_ _jiggy with it_?" asked Maeter.

"I think it's some sort of dance…" answered Eureka unsurely.

"Where do babies come from?" Maurice asked awkwardly.

Eureka pondered for a moment.

_Wow! _Eureka thought, _Where __**do**__ babies come from?_

Eureka knew that Talho had a baby, but she had never had the time to ask about where he came from. She remembered asking Holland a long time ago, but he refused to answer.

"I don't know…" Eureka admitted.

"Why don't you know?" Maeter asked disappointedly. "You're our Mama."

"Ask Talho, Gidget or Hilda," Eureka told them.

"Okay!" they said simultaneously as they bolted out the door.

Eureka should her head with a grin and walked down to the lounge area.

"Are you sure that we shouldn't act now, sir?" asked Hyde anxiously as the strolled along the hanger bay skywalk.

"Wait and see," Arner simply told him.

"But, sir," Hyde explained, "we must act now if we are to start our operations. We _need_ it."

"_She_ won't be so easy to retrieve. Because of Steller's foolish behavior, the Federation knows of our mission to obtain Eureka."

"But we have the strong enough forces, sir."

"We can't capture her so recklessly. The Federation may track our headquarters and even if we can defend it, we will suffer damage."

"They will be with the VENOM, sir."

Arner paused and looked down at the VENOMS massive figure below.

"Just give me a little longer," Arner said calmly.

"Alright," agreed Hyde, "but…how do you plan to act if Operation Revelation fails? Will you use the backup plan?"

"You mean _Dewey's_ old backup plan?" Arner asked with emphasis.

"Yes, sir…"

"I may…Dewey was fool for killing himself…he could have obtain true power if he had used them…though he did attack the Command Cluster so he would have betrayed them anyhow."

"Yes, sir…"

"Another day without work," Dominic said as he and Anemone walked through the streets.

"I'm glad that you don't have to get caught up in everything again," Anemone admitted.

Dominic tried not to worry too much about the incident at HQ. The Federation officials told him time and time again that they'd handle it, but Dominic still had to discuss things with Seizo over the phone. He had taken the week off. There were many things he could be doing at work like more training, but he wanted to be with Anemone. He felt that his job was loosening his relationship with her. He wondered why he hadn't taken the offer after the Second Summer of Love. The Federation had offered Dominic to be the captain of his own ship. He had mulled over the offer for days, but realized that he had had enough of airships and being a captain wasn't his thing. Though only now he was reconsidering.

"There are lots of people we haven't visited lately," Anemone said as she gently held Dominic's hand.

"Like who?" asked Dominic.

"Like the captain…Jurgens," she replied.

"Oh yeah…" Dominic commented.

He hadn't met with Captain Jurgens in a few months though now that he thought about it, he would enjoy talking to him again.

"I remember when I was younger," Anemone chuckled. "I remember annoying that man so much!"

"He was annoying himself, really," Dominic laughed. Though…if he hadn't ordered the attack on the Thurston residence…history may have been much different."

"You're hopeless Dominic!" Anemone stated sarcastically.

"What?"

"You're always worrying, Dominic, worrying about the past or about the future."

"You're the one who worries the most, Anemone. You worry yourself have to death about me."

Anemone giggled. It was an argument, but it was a fun one. Dominic had had that often with Anemone long ago.

"I have to, Captain Dominic!"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I'm the fiancée of an SOF soldier aren't I?"

"Uh…fiancée?"

Anemone showed a bit of disappointment and Dominic showed a bit of uneasiness.

"Oh, you can't hide it, Dominic! You know it's coming and the 'Yes!' and the 'I do' and everything!"

"And _who _is thinking too much about the future?" Dominic added with a grin.

"I'm not _worrying _about the future, I'm only thinking about it!" Anemone told him, smiling.

They were speaking and laughing so loud, they turned a few heads. Though, Anemone was known for being loud when she was very happy and enjoying herself, especially when she was younger.

"We shouldn't think too far ahead," Dominic suggested.

"Anemone Sorel," Anemone said with a gleam in her eyes. "Mrs. Anemone Sorel…nah…I don't like _Mrs._, it makes me sound old. Anemone…God! I don't have a maiden name."

"Now somebody's worrying about the future!" Dominic joked.

"Oh shut up, Dominic."

They laughed and talked on as they strode along the rode. Nothing would separate them. They were meant to be, but Dominic still worried about proposing to Anemone, especially with everything that was happening. Something was on the verge of occurrence…something that would jeopardize their lives and maybe change them forever…again.

"It's not fair!" Maeter complained.

"Yeah!" agreed Linck.

Maurice was beginning to not care about the topic anymore. They had asked Talho, Gidget, and Hilda where babies came from, but all refused to give them the correct answer. Gidget actually told them it was a big skyfish, but the three children rejected that answer.

"Maybe we should wait til we're older like everyone says," Maurice suggested.

"I'm old enough!" Maeter protested.

"Me too!" added Linck.

Maurice sighed and went to sit down on the couch. Matthieu and Moondoggie were still sitting nearby in a heated argument about _doing it._ Whatever that meant, Maurice had no intention of finding out.

"What are you boys arguing about this time?" Hilda said tiredly as she entered the room.

"Nothing!" Moondoggie and Matthieu said as once.

"Oh really?" Hilda said with no curiosity.

"Of course!" the two said again.

Maurice, Maeter, and Linck later forgot about finding out where babies came from and started eating lunch. Soon the lounge room filled with Gekkostate members and everyone came to eat lunch. Everything was peaceful and no one seemed to care about the incident six days ago, but if someone were to mention it, the topic would be sure to change or silence would strike the room.

"Another long day," Hap said as he sat down with a sandwich.

"It's only afternoon," Jobs added after sipping a drink.

"There's still a lot to do," Woz told them.

"Still, everyone needs a break," Ken-Goh stated.

Everyone started having various conversations while they enjoyed their food. Everyone seemed ordinary and peaceful. Talho was sitting in the kitchen feeding Charles some baby food which dripped out of his mouth here and then. Maurice noticed that Holland was not present, but he didn't think it was significant.

"Hey what's up?" asked Holland into the phone as he lay on his bed.

"I just wanted to be able to talk to you, it's been long," Stoner replied rather quickly.

"What's up with this whole photography thing you got into?"

"I can't really talk about it…"

"By the way, where are you?"

There was a pause.

"Dammit!" cried Stoner.

"What?" said Holland as he sat up.

"I have to go, but all will be revealed soon, patience is a virtue!"

"What?!"

Stoner hung up and left Holland sitting on the bed with an eluded look upon his face. He felt as if a door had just been shut in front of him, a door he thought led to somewhere peaceful, but turned out to lead to another mystery. Yet another window of a mystery appeared, but all was unclear.

"Damn…" Holland said to himself.

Renton entered the room and found most of Gekkostate sitting and eating lunch. As he entered, a few of them looked at him, but all was calm. Renton tried to smile when Matthieu smiled at him, but Renton felt weights pulling down his mouth. He just kept a blank expression pasted on his face.

"Hey Renton!" Gidget said.

"Heh…" Renton said back and he found a spot on the couch to sit.

Gidget looked a little worried, but then turned back to Mischa whom she was talking to.

A few minutes passed and Renton was only half-way done with his ramen. No to many people talked to him, cut he didn't care. He ate slowly and kept his head empty of thoughts. If someone said something to him, he might not have heard it. Then he looked up as Eureka entered the room.

Everyone turned and noticed her entry and silence flooded the room as if someone had just died. A few, including Gidget, Moondoggie, Hilda, and Matthieu glanced at Renton then turned back to look at Eureka. Everyone knew about Renton and Eureka's relationship over the past few days. The kids had pretty much spread the news which had caused Gidget and Moondoggie to investigate finding that Eureka and Renton where ignoring each other. Then, the word spread and everyone knew.

"Hi, everyone…" Eureka said with a dark look in her eyes as she would not permit herself to look at anyone.

No one said hi back, but all eyes were on Eureka as she walked to get a sandwich off the table. She then looked for a seat and noticed that the only vacant spot was next to Renton. She slowly guided herself to the spot, not looking at Renton and sat next to him, keeping as much space as possible. Renton felt a little uneasy.

"I'm not that hungry anymore," Renton announced, breaking the silence.

He put his bowl down and stood up. As he walked to the door, he could feel everyone's eyes on him. He had felt as if he had done something wrong and maybe he had. A strange feeling of guilt flooded his body like a virus. It felt as though the room was suddenly freezing. Renton felt a little numb inside. Silence was still in the air, but Renton could here the thumping of his heart. He didn't do as much as look back, but he strode down the hall to his room.

Eureka sat in silence, staring at her sandwich as if she hated it. No one spoke, but she knew that their eyes were no longer concentrated on her. Everyone was looking at the door quietly. It was so quiet that everyone could here Ken-Goh's stomach growl. It was a few minutes until the wall of silence was broken.

"W-What do you think?" Moondoggie asked awkwardly.

"So, what should we put on the next issue of _ray=out_?" asked Gidget, changing the subject.

"We should take some reffing pictures," suggested Hap.

"Man, we haven't gone reffing in ages!" added Matthieu.

Eureka didn't eat her food, but stared at it hopelessly for as time passed. Soon, the room was emptied out except for Gidget and Moondoggie.

"Are you alright?" Gidget asked as she approached Eureka.

"I'm not hungry," Eureka admitted as she gave Gidget her plate.

Looking at nothing, but the floor, Eureka left the room, but she knew that Gidget and Moondoggie were exchanging awkward glances to each other. Gekkostate was going through another Eureka-Renton problem.

Renton was standing in the middle of nowhere with sand blowing in his face. He was in the desert again, in the sandstorm. He looked around, but saw nothing; no Eureka, no LFOs. The perpetual blows of sand blinded him, but he could tell that nothing significant was occurring besides the continuous sandstorm. Renton began to tread through the sand with his arm shielding his face.

The journey seemed to last a minute or so, but it was agonizing as the sand whipped at Renton's body. Soon, Renton could not bear the pain and collapsed onto a sand dune. As he hit the soft sand, the pain ceased. Renton lay there breathing heavily. Heavy weights pinned his body to the ground. Renton thought he had gone deaf because he no longer heard the whir of the storm, but he heard another noise; it was a peaceful sound.

_Woosh…woosh. _

It reminded him of something, something with Eureka. Then he found the strength to lift himself and he looked around. The first thing he noticed was that the sand was not the dark tan of the desert, but a more bright white color. Renton no longer stood in a vast desert, but somewhere else, paradise. He still stood on soft sand, but there were beautiful green plants with long brown trunks in front of him and as he turned, he saw a mass of beautiful blue water. Waves of it slowly lapped onto the surface of the sand. The advertising water was only a few meters away. He knew where he was, the Promised Land.

_Déjà vu_, Renton thought.

"Ah, Renton it's been a while since we've spoken," said a very friendly and familiar voice.

Renton spun around and saw a little old man standing in front of him. The man held a cane in front of him and was dressed in a golden brown tunic and pants. His head was bald and he wore sandals. His face was covered with a grey-white beard and thick eyebrows. Renton knew the man at first glance.

"Actually," added the man, "we've barely ever chatted at all."

"G-Gonzy?" Renton asked, with disbelief.

"My, you've grown Renton," Gonzy said, coming closer. "You're a strong man now."

"Wha-how-hello…" Renton said awkwardly.

He had never really heard Gonzy talk so much, especially about him or to him. Renton found it hard to find words.

"It has been a long time indeed…" Gonzy said softly. "Such a prodigious length of time. Sorry that you had to go through the storm…it was only part of this subliminal world."

"H-How have you been?" Renton asked.

"I'm fine, thank you," Gonzy replied with his hairy cheeks lifting, a smile. "How is Eureka?"

"Oh…" Renton said as he looked down. "She…She and I haven't been doing so well."

"Don't blame yourself, Renton," the old man comforted. "I know that you must be thinking that the dilemma is of your fault, but it is not."

"Then what?"

"There's something that has been wrought upon Eureka. She can't help it so it's up to the ones she loves to bring her hope. I cannot be specific, but this problem is significant."

"I don't understand…"

"Everything will seem very hard to comprehend, but it will arrive under your nose eventually."

Renton still glared at the sand beneath his feet.

"Renton, don't feel guilty. You must stay with Eureka. You must care for her and aid her in this harsh time."

"It's hard. I still feel like I'm doing something wrong…Gonzy."

"You're doing nothing wrong. Is that how you felt when you hit her?"

Renton looked up.

"What?" he asked.

"Oh that's right," Gonzy mumbled, "it hasn't happened yet…"

"What are you talking about?" Renton asked.

"There will come a time when you will find yourself striking Eureka. Don't feel ashamed, though. It is only to set her straight. To bring her back to reality…Just remember to kiss her afterwards."

Renton had no idea what Gonzy was trying to tell him.

"Oh that's right!" Gonzy added abruptly. "I was asked to deliver a message. It's from a Mr. Baxter."

"William B. Baxter?" asked Renton suddenly remembering the young man's friendly face.

"Ah, yes. He says, 'Remember to take care of the one you love, Renton. It is the most important thing. Martha and I hope you have a happy life.'"

"Where is William?" asked Renton.

"Oh, in a better place," Gonzy told him. "I'd bring him here to see you, but I'm using enough power as it is just to visit you here."

"Power? Have you visited Eureka too?"

"No. I'd like to, but that's not my job. Eureka will be fine, but…she…your mind may try to trick you and so will hers."

"Can you please explain things more clearly?"

"You have a mental connection to Eureka."

"What kind of mental connection?"

"Well…love."

"Oh, of course."

"But as your bridge of love crumbles, your connections shall too."

"Are they crumbling now, Gonzy?"

"Maybe a little…Let's say there's a roadblock on the bridge. It is a roadblock that shall cause delusion…confusion."

"I don't understand."

Suddenly there was a gust of wind and sand blew into the air.

"Well, time to go," Gonzy announced as he turned in the opposite direction. "Good luck and Godspeed, Renton Thurston! Find the answer!"

"Wait! Gonzy!" Renton cried over the sound of the approaching storm. "I want to know more! What power?! Eureka-who's job is it? What do you want me to do? What's the answer!?"

"'Don't ask for it. Go out and win it. Do that and you will be rewarded!' That's all your father and sister wanted me to tell you!"

"My father and sister? Wait? The Command Cluster-Gonzy!"

"Good luck!" Gonzy said again as he waved back disappearing behind the blowing sand.

Renton was left unknowing in the sandstorm. Then he woke…

Chapter 19: Somewhere I belong

_Qwrrrrr…qwrrr…qwrrr_

Roth heard a strange noise. He did not know what it was or where it was coming from. He could not see. It was like a black veil was over his eyes. No. His eyes were closed, but weights pulled them down. He couldn't feel a thing.

_Where am I? _He asked himself.

He then found the strength inside him to open his eyes. He realized that the sound was his very own breathing and that he was lying in a bed, a hospital bed. He stared at the blank ceiling for a long while until the door to his right opened. Roth tried to move, but all strength had been derived from his body and his head hurt like hell.

"Ahhh, you're awake," said a kind voice.

Roth recognized the doctor. Roth knew him as Dr. Gunpei, a kind and skilled doctor and surgeon. He was dressed in a white coat and had blondish-grey hair. Roth stared at the doctor silently.

"Don't try speaking," Dr. Gunpei told Roth. "You are very weak. We thought you wouldn't have survived, but the operation went better than planned with a few conditions…"

The doctor sighed.

"We had to amputate you're left arm and you're left foot," he said. "You're right side is broken in a variety of different places so it will take time to heal. Also…you're lungs suffer some permanent damage. The blast may have affected your eyesight, but we'll run some tests on that. You have quite a few scars on your body, including your face, but you're lucky to be alive."

Roth didn't feel lucky at all. He couldn't feel his body, but his head felt like it would explode. He now knew that he didn't have a left arm and foot and that he'd probably be in the hospital for a long time. He realized that he was in a giant cast as if he were imprisoned in stone.

"Oh, yes," continued Dr. Gunpei, "when we found you, you had this with you."

The doctor pulled out a diamond necklace from his pocket. It was the necklace Roth had given Eka, but it didn't look the same. It had lost its magical sparkle. The doctor placed the necklace on the nightstand and stared at it for a few seconds.

"I'm terribly sorry about Eka…" he said softly. "I know that you loved her…and that she loved you. She was a great girl…another great person that the world had lost."

Right then, right with that sentence, Roth knew that Eka was dead. He knew it the moment he gazed into her deceased eyes, but he didn't want to believe it. Now he had to. Now his world seemed to shatter into a million pieces. Now the world would be a living hell. No the world had no meaning. Nothing left…

"Don't blame yourself," the doctor comforted as he saw a tear trickle down Roth's face. "It wasn't your fault. It was all of ours…We had it coming…Even if you hadn't gone on that mission Hugo would have still been shot and that dawn would have still came…We all did it. It was our decision to embark on that mission…even so, if the mission hadn't been considered we still would've had it coming…so many lives lost."

Roth barely listened to the doctors words. They seemed like muffled gibberish from another world. Roth was now in his own world; a realm of death and sorrow, a meaningless realm where Roth was already dead; a part of him dead just then, maybe all of him.

"I know how you feel to lose someone," the doctor said. "I my brother was on that mission…then he was killed two days later…along with many of my friends and yours."

Roth didn't really care. Eka was more to him than anything, but now she wasn't there; now she wasn't alive or ever would be again. Roth found that he couldn't cry anymore. Dead men can't cry. Then there was a voice from the intercom.

_"Dr. Gunpei, you are needed in the operation room immediately!"_

"I have to leave you now," Dr. Gunpei said. "I have more patients to attend to. I'll see you soon, Roth. You'll be out in maybe a month."

Roth was truly dead.

Steller stared at the wall for the longest time. He was in the hanger once again, minding his own business, remembering the past. Remembering when he had died inside his body; when he had become an empty shell.

"Hey! Steller!" called Ben. "Do you wanna get some food?"

Ben had been acting too kind to Steller lately, maybe Steller had been to light on him.

"I don't eat, fool," Steller answered darkly.

"What? Um…okay, suit yourself," Ben said as he left the hanger.

Steller leaned against the wall for another half-hour or so. He still wondered what would have happened; what would have happened if he hadn't pulled the trigger.

"Renton!" called Maeter's voice.

Renton didn't answer.

"Renton!" she called again.

"Uhhh…" groaned Renton.

"Time to wake up! Talho says so!"

Renton felt a pillow hit him in the face. He opened his eyes to see Maeter standing in the room, but for a second, she looked like the little old man on the beach.

"I…need to talk to Gonzy…" Renton said slowly.

"Huh?"

"I want…answer…"

"Renton, come out of bed!" Maeter ordered again.

Renton felt another blow from the pillow. He then sat up and slowly got out of bed. He now slept on the bottom bunk of the bunk opposite of that of the kids and Eureka. He wanted to give Eureka her space and let her be.

"Almost lunchtime!" Linck said as he slid into the room.

"Lunch?" asked Renton.

"Yeah, it's already eleven o'clock," answered Maeter. "You were sleeping for a long time."

"Gonzy…" he said again.

The children didn't look at him, but ran out of the room. Renton got up and dressed then found his stomach growling. He went to the lounge to find something to eat.

"Good morning…" Renton said as he walked into the room.

No one was there except for Maurice who was watching television and Hilda who was reading a magazine.

"Hey, Renton," Hilda said, glancing at him once.

Renton ate a bowl of cereal then headed out the door. As he stepped through the doorway, he bumped into someone.

"Sorry," Renton said at the same time as Eureka.

He paused and so did Eureka. Time seemed to stop and Renton had a cold feeling down his spine.

"And I couldn't believe it when-" Matthieu started when Gidget tapped him.

Matthieu, Moondoggie and Gidget were walking down the hall, but then stopped at the sight of Eureka and Renton standing in opposite directions in the doorway. There was an awkward silence.

"Helllloooo?" asked Matthieu.

Renton started walking again, but didn't look back. He just went all the way to his room and lied down on the bed. A few minutes later he heard voices from outside the room.

"Aw, c'mon. Not right now!" complained Moondoggie's voice.

"Yes, Doggie, we need to talk to him now," demanded Gidget's voice.

"But, I was going to work with Matthieu on his CD!" Moondoggie protested.

"That can wait."

The door opened and Gidget stepped in dragging Moondoggie.

"Renton, we need to talk," Gidget said in a serious voice.

She and Moondoggie sat down on the opposite side of Renton.

"What is it?" Renton asked even though he knew the answer.

"We've notice," Gidget said, "that you and Eureka are having another hard time together."

"It's nothing," Renton said glumly.

"Yes, let's just give it some time," Moondoggie suggested.

"No, we need to talk about it," Gidget ordered. "A year ago we had to get you and Eureka to have a relationship and now we have to help you keep it; can't let all that work go to waste."

"Well, we actually didn't help _too _much," Moondoggie said, but Gidget gave him an awkward stare.

"I don't need your help," Renton told them, turning his head.

"Moondoggie, you give him some tips on how to hold a relationship and how to repair one," Gidget said.

"Well," Moondoggie said. "You have to…"

Gidget gave him another awkward stare.

"Hmm?" she said a bit of a frustrated voice.

"You have to…" Moondoggie said uncomfortably. "You've gotta keep her happy."

"How am I going to keep her happy?" Renton asked.

"Flowers," suggested Moondoggie.

"There's none on the ship," Gidget told him.

"Food?" asked Moondoggie.

"I don't know about that," said Gidget.

"Jewelry?"

"Are you kidding, Doggie?"

"Heck, I'm really not that close to Eureka," Moondoggie said.

"You should know, you spent a year with her didn't you?" said Gidget.

"Well, yeah, but…" Renton started. "Things are different…"

"Is her head still down in the dark?" asked Gidget curiously.

"Gonzy…" Renton said quietly.

"What?" Moondoggie asked.

"Nevermind," Renton said.

Awkward silence…

"Um…I have to use the bathroom," Moondoggie announced.

"You just went," Gidget said.

"I have to go again," replied Moondoggie.

"Will you come back?" she asked.

"Um…of course," he said running off, but Renton knew that Moondoggie just wanted to escape from the talk.

Renton lied back on the bed and Gidget stared at him curiously, impatiently glancing at the door every so often. Several minutes past and Gidget stood up and grabbed Renton.

"Alright, we're going to find someone who can give you some advice," she told him and Renton found himself being dragged out the door. "I could tell you a lot about girls, but you need to talk to a man."

They scurried down the hall and finally ran into someone.

"Jobs!" Gidget said cheerfully. "Can you help us with something?"

"Certainly," Jobs said while fixing his glasses. "Go for it."

"Well, can you give Renton some advice?" Gidget asked kindly.

"On what?" asked Jobs.

"On how to repair his relationship with Eureka," answered Gidget.

Jobs paused, still fixing his glasses and bit his lip.

"Hmm…" he said. "Well, you have to cheer her up."

"Of course, but how do you do that?" asked Gidget.

"Well, you're a female, you should know what might be useful," Jobs suggested.

"I know that," Gidget said, "but some of it might be hard for Renton to understand plus a few things are a little too mature."

"I'm sixteen!" argued Renton.

"Yes, but still," Gidget said, "maybe you should wait."

"Whatever," Renton sighed.

"Anyways," Gidget directed back to Jobs, "how did you deal with any girls in the past?"

"Well, let's see," Jobs said slowly. "Uh…um…I…"

"Jobs," Gidget added slowly, "have you ever had a girlfriend?"

Jobs froze. Then he let his head drop down.

"No…" he said glumly.

"Ugh, let's go Renton," Gidget said, frustrated.

They ran down the hall a few times and bumped into Hap.

"Hap can we have moment?" asked Gidget.

"I have to get back to the bridge," Hap answered.

"Please!" Gidget asked nicely, "Renton needs some advice."

"Later," Hap said and he walked off.

"Someone needs advice?" asked Woz, walking up to them. "Maybe I can help."

Gidget glanced at Woz for a few seconds.

"Uh…no…maybe you can't," she said, trying to have a kind voice.

She dragged Renton down the hall more then ran into Ken-Goh.

"Hello, Ken-Goh," Gidget greeted, "would you mind helping us?"

"Why, sure," Ken-Goh said happily. "What might it be?"

"Renton needs help repairing his relationship with Eureka," answered Gidget.

"Ahh…yes," Ken-Goh said, "It has been a while since I've had a relationship with a woman, but those long days spent with Matilda were the life. I will always remember that one summer when I found myself in bed…"

Ken-Goh raved on and on about several different bad relationships with women in the past. Gidget and he soon grew bored.

"Oh, thanks, but I'll go ask someone else," Gidget interrupted Ken-Goh while he was talking something about sushi.

"And I later discovered that it wasn't chocolate on the table!" Ken-Goh chuckled as Gidget and Renton rushed away.

"Holland," Talho said as she cradled Charles in her arms.

"Yes?" answered Holland as he sat in his chair at the bridge.

"Are you still worried about Eureka?" she asked.

"A little," Holland replied.

Holland sighed and put his hand on his temple.

"There's something I'm still wondering," he continued.

"What might that be?" asked Talho curiously.

"Stoner…" Holland said bluntly.

"You've talked to him?" asked Talho.

"Just a few days ago. He's tangled up in something."

"I wonder what it could be."

"I have know idea. It's just…He was working hard and well for us for the longest time then one day he says 'I'm sorry, guys, I have to go. I really don't want to, but I have to.' I asked him what was the matter and he said, 'Just a photography job…I'll get to you soon.' Those were his last words before he left. I have no idea what the heck is going on anymore."

"Do think this has anything to do with our situation, Holland?"

"Maybe…but everyone seems to be involved in our situation nowadays. It's just so stressful."

Talho put her hand on his shoulder.

"It's turn up alright…like it always does," she comforted.

"You know…" Maeter said while lying on a storage crate. "I wonder if babies do come from the skyfish."

"Maybe their made in factories!" suggested Linck.

"Will you get over it already?!" Maurice barked.

"Someone's is cranky…" Maeter mumbled.

"What?" asked Maurice.

"Oh, nothing," Maeter replied.

Maurice looked around the walls of the storage room, still thinking.

"What are you doing?" Linck asked curiously.

"Thinking," answered Maurice glumly.

"You think a lot," Maeter added. "Too much thinking is for grown-ups."

"Well, maybe I am a grown-up," Maurice said.

Maurice knew he was just a seven-year-old kid, but he couldn't help, but think about all the "grown-up" stuff. He was more mature than his brother and sister, especially now, but sometimes he didn't like his habit of thinking.

"Is it Mama?" Maeter asked anxiously.

"Maybe," Maurice answered blankly.

It was true, he could think of nothing, but Mama and Renton. They were having problems again. He remembered when he wanted Renton to keep away from Mama and when Mama and Renton fought, but now he didn't want to have anything to do with it. Or did he?

"Whoa!" Linck cried.

Maurice and Maeter rushed to see what the awe was about.

"Look at these crates!" Linck told them.

In the back of the room was a small area surrounded by crates. The containers were made out of thick metal, but three of them were beaten and bashed. They all had dents, two had several large holes, and one had its lid ripped of and bent into an angle. There were also a few scratches and dents on the wall and even what appeared to be a small splatter of blood.

"What…what happened here?" asked Maurice.

"Dunno," Maeter said, "it's creepy."

"Do you think…it's a monster?" asked Linck.

"There's no monster's on the ship," Maurice said in a attempted calm voice.

"That's only in movies!" added Maeter bravely, but there was a small whimper in her voice.

"So…that's not blood?" asked Linck with a quiver.

"Maybe…" Maurice said with has hands beginning to shake.

Then there was a pause.

"Mama!" they cried as they ran down the hall.

"You are so hopeless, Renton!" Gidget blurted. "You go so well with Eureka, but when a problem strikes, you go dumb. How can you just walk out on her? How can you not speak to her? Are you a coward? Are you trying to let her do everything? Whatever it is, you're wrong. You're the man so you should act like one!"

"It's not that easy!" Renton protested.

"You are hopeless…"

"Hey!" called Matthieu from around the corner.

Gidget stopped in front of Matthieu and Moondoggie and pushed Renton forward.

"Renton needs help, Matthieu and where have you been, Doggie?" said Gidget.

Moondoggie made some facial expressions, but Gidget just rolled her eyes.

"He really needs help," Gidget told them.

"So I've heard," Matthieu said with a cheerful tone.

"I don't really-" started Renton.

"Don't even think about getting Renton in trouble again," Gidget warned.

"We don't even have those magazines anymore," Matthieu said. "C'mon, it's been what, a year? We'll take care of him."

He then turned to Renton.

"You can trust us."

Gidget sighed and Renton had an awkward feeling in his stomach, almost a sick feeling.

"I have to go find Eureka," Gidget said as she ran off.

"Man, Doggie," Matthieu said. "How _do_ you tame her?"

"It's harder than you think," Moondoggie answered. "At least, now it is."

Renton jumped as Matthieu grabbed him and dragged him to a room.

"Here's our humble abode!" Matthieu announced cheerfully as he pushed Renton in. "Make yourself at home, but if you touch anything, I'll kill you."

Matthieu had a big smile on his face like a little boy who just found a new toy to entertain himself with. Moondoggie still looked uncomfortable, but still kept a grin. Renton didn't exactly comprehend how he could make himself at home without touching anything. The room was a pigsty. The floor was littered with paper, books, magazines, clothing, and other junk. Matthieu's bed wasn't made, in fact, the bed sheets were on the floor and there were a few boxers on a pillow. On the wall was a myriad of photo's and other papers and on several shelves were an apparatus of music, reffing, and video equipment and devices. Moondoggie's bed area on the other side of the room was no better. Renton walked through the minefield of junk with caution, but Moondoggie and Matthieu, walked through casually, without stepping on anything as if they had done it every day which Renton supposed they did.

"It's uh…nice," Renton comment.

"Sure is!" agreed Matthieu.

The square room was about twenty feet wide and ten feet high.

"Pretty big, huh?" Moondoggie said.

Matthieu the pushed Renton roughly onto his bed and he and Moondoggie had a seat next to him.

"Now it's time to discuss important matters," Matthieu announced. "Doctor Moondoggie, would you kindly aid me in the aid of this helpless child?"

"Why, yes, my lord!" Moondoggie said in a acting voice.

"First question:" Matthieu said, becoming more serious as he looked at Renton. "Are you still a virgin?"

"Wh-what?" Renton blurted.

"You heard me, Renton. This is a very important question! All of humanity depends on the answer!" Matthieu told him sarcastically.

Renton immediately turned red and looked at his knees.

"C'mon, answer the question or we'll all die!" begged Moondoggie.

Renton squeezed his pant legs. He felt very hot at the face.

"Yes…" Renton said slowly.

Awkward silence…

"What?" Matthieu and Moondoggie asked with disbelief.

"All that time and you-you didn't do it?" asked Matthieu.

Renton felt even hotter.

"You didn't even try?" asked Moondoggie anxiously.

"I tried!" Renton admitted. "But…but it was hard to explain everything to Eureka. It was awkward and…and I don't think she's ready."

Matthieu pretended to have been shot in the heart and fell to his knees.

"No…you've failed me, Renton…" he said in a fake voice of despair. "Why?"

Renton lowered his head more.

"She is _so _ready!" Matthieu said. "It's been a year. C'mon, Renton."

"Yes, but…" Renton started.

"Wow, you should win an award or something!" Matthieu exclaimed. "Renton Thurston, winner of the longest time of restraint! Seriously, Renton, how can one keep his pants secure that long?"

Renton was silent.

"Why didn't you just go up and do it?" asked Moondoggie.

"Then it would be against her will and that's wrong!" Renton replied.

"She'd enjoy it in the end," Matthieu told him.

"Well," said Renton. "It's not like I know everything either. I mean…I don't know if I should. What if…she could get…can't she? I don't…don't have-"

"The _proper safety_?" finished Moondoggie.

"That's why you use-No that would've left her limping…" Matthieu started.

"Look," Renton told them, "I don't even want to talk about this. It's…just really awkward…stupid."

"You've gotta do it sometime or another!" Matthieu told him. "It's the way of life!"

"Let me just deal with Eureka on my own; okay?" Renton said as he walked away.

_Those two, _Renton thought, _they really are crazy…What am I gonna do? That was extremely weird and wrong…Help me, Gonzy._

"Eureka, are you alright?" asked Hilda.

"I'm…okay," Eureka said with a sigh as she sat on the couch.

Hilda scooted closer to her and turned off the TV.

"Renton is being an idiot," she said. "He loves you, but he's still so naïve. Let Renton learn and maybe you and he can heal your wounds. Don't feel so depressed, Eureka. You _will_ heal your wounds."

"It's my fault…" Eureka said.

"No it isn't," Hilda said. "Renton is just-"

"No…It's my fault. I'm different…I started to fight with Renton and now he feels bad because he can't help me."

Hilda sighed.

"It's no one's fault," Hilda said.

She then put her hand on Eureka's shoulder.

"Go and make amends," she continued. "I remember when this happened last time, but it shouldn't happen again. I mean, you two are meant for each other."

"Maybe you're right," Eureka said as she stood. "Thank you Hilda."

"Don't mention it."

Eureka walked to the door, but still. She was not sure. She was definitely not sure if things would go well. Eureka knew that she was pulling farther and farther away. She wanted to tell Hilda, but she knew it would cause more trouble. Eureka wanted to tell Hilda what was happening to her. She wanted to admit that she had lied to everyone when they asked if she was okay or if there was anything wrong. Nothing was okay and many things were wrong. Eureka hadn't told Renton and she knew it would cause fear. She didn't want to tell Renton how that she had vomited several times during the past six days. She had rushed to the toilet twice, but then decided to hide it after Gidget found her puking once. Eureka told Gidget that it was something she ate even though she hadn't eaten much lately. She had hid in one of the back storage rooms where she once vomited blood after an outbreak. Eureka had two outbreaks so far, both in the storage room. They were sudden violent outbreaks that caused her to thrash and immediately find something to destroy. She had already caused damage to a few crates and she hoped no one would find them. She didn't know what it meant, but Eureka was afraid to tell anyone, even Mischa.

"Eureka, there you are!"

Gidget came running up to Eureka with a serious look on her face.

"Are you alright?"

"Yes," Eureka lied again.

"We need to talk…about Renton."

"Gidget, I don't want-"

"We have to. You love him don't you?"

Somehow, the question took a long time to make it to Eureka.

"Eureka?"

"Yes," Eureka finally answered. "Of course…"

"You need to cheer up, Eureka. Let's find something for you to do. Maybe it will cheer Renton up too!"

Eureka finally smiled for the first time in days and she followed Gidget into the kitchen.

"Roth, there you are!" called Dr. Gunpei as he found Roth at the end of town.

Roth just stood at the path that lead to the main road and didn't look back. He gripped his crutches hard and prepared for the long journey ahead. One he would travel the first time with his new prosthetic arm and leg. It had been two month's since he left the hospital.

"Roth, everyone's looking for you!" the doctor told him.

"Everyone usually looks _at _me," Roth said darkly.

"Is that why you are leaving? You may look odd now, but we can fix that. You're still a man." he asked.

"So what am I? What do I have, but negativity because I can't justify the way everyone is looking at me. They've seem me long enough to know I'm a man…they look at me for something else."

"Id hate to say it, Roth, but…it's because of your desire and desperation for revenge. It's labeling you…"

"And I let it all out to find that I'm not the only person with these things in mind."

"Many have thought about revenge, but no one is going out to seek it."

Roth looked down.

"No one, but me," he said.

"Please, come back," pleaded Dr. Gunpei, "You're wounds aren't fully healed."

"My physical wounds have healed enough. It's the wounds in my mind that need healing."

"And you believe that revenge will do that? Why are you doing this?"

"I will never know myself until I do this on my own and I will never feel anything else until my wounds are healed. I will never be anything until I break away from me…I will break away. I'll find myself today."

Roth took a step forward.

"Don't do this, Roth! You mustn't!"

"You know what's happened…What's left for me here? Nothing to lose…"

"Nothing to gain…Hollow and alone and the fault is your own. Don't do this and start over. It will eat away at you. Find another reason to live, another dream…New life, new love. What do you want to do?"

"I want to heal! I want to feel what I thought was never real! I want to let go of the pain I've felt so long! Erase all the pain until it's gone…"

"What do you mean what you thought was never real?"

"The pleasure of killing someone," Steller said coldly.

"Roth…it really has consumed you hasn't it?"

Gunpei looked away.

"You're father once told me," he said. "Back when he was alive…When he was a Federation airship captain…he said 'To be injured sets you below your enemy, to take revenge sets you even with him, but to forgive him….will set you above him.'"

Steller paused.

"Maybe I don't want to be above my enemy…" he said with intensity. "Maybe I just want to be even."

"And how do you propose to do that?" asked Gunpei on the verge of anger.

"I'll find a way," Steller replied darkly.

"If revenge is all you care about, Roth…Then maybe you don't belong here…"

"Then I'll go find it…Somewhere I belong."

With that, Steller walked away.

_Maybe this is it, _Steller thought as he still stood against the wall, _Is this where I belong?_

He thought for a moment. The real place he belonged was no longer existent. Not even Hell was meant for him. Even Eka wouldn't be with him. With his countless murders he couldn't possibly ever be with her again. But he vowed to avenge her and everyone else and it was a vow that he would keep until his body would not function.

_No, _he told himself, _all of this…I'm doing it for Eka…Not for Arner, not for Hyde, not all for myself, but for Eka…For our love. I shall avenge thee and punish thy sinners. I have made my sacrifices and my enemies made up for that with their lives. This is for you, Eka…for everyone I cared about… _

Chapter 20: Secrets

"You know, they're thinking about promoting you again, Alex," said General Markus.

"Promoting me?" asked Alexander Arner.

"Well, not exactly promoting you," Markus continued, "more like transferring you. You have experience being a airship captain so they're thinking about moving you to the airship forces. Maybe you can get a catchy title like 'Admiral Arner'."

"Admiral Arner?" chuckled Arner. "That does sound good."

There was a pause, but each knew what the other was thinking of.

"I know he was your friend, Alex, but he had to go," said General Markus.

Markus was a close friend to Arner. They had grown up together and considered each other brothers, but Mark was never close to Dewey and his friendship with Arner had loosened over the past year.

"Why exactly was he arrested?" Arner asked as he leaned on the balcony.

"Lieutenant Colonel Dewey Novak was arrested for treason," answered Mark. "Officers found Novak with procession of stolen information. He is also blamed for his brother's desertion of the Federation."

"I had nothing to do with it…" Arner said quietly.

"I never said you did," Mark told him.

There was a pause.

"I know that Dewey wanted power," Markus said. "Every man wants power for one reason or another: to receive attention, to feel important, to exceed a rival, to overpower others, any reason. I believe Dewey wanted to feel worthy. He wanted to feel stronger…important, especially because of his past. It also had something to do with the Coral…Did he tell you anything?"

Mark approached Arner and stood next to him, looking into the distance.

"He…he said that he had information…information on the planet. Something about the truth…"

"Really? Well, if of course he had information on the planet's true nature, he was part of a Noble family. The information he had in his procession was of some sort of super weapon. It was an old abandoned project. The weapon was said to be able to burn all the way through the coral crust. Though, this weapon was never actually made."

"What is…the true nature of the planet?"

"You don't know? Oh, yes, that's right, it's a _secret_. I don't give a damn though. They rave on and on about only a few people in the Federation know this information, but that is false. Almost all the top generals, including me, know everything there is to know about Coralians, Trappar, the Scub Coral, everything! All the Vodarek people know this information too…It's not that big of a secret. You should learn it soon enough…but I wonder if Dewey knew about it…"

"Knew what?" asked Arner curiously.

"Well, it would take quite a while to explain and understand, but let's say…this is a secret only a select few have knowledge of. Maybe less than ten people on this planet."

"Less than ten?"

"Maybe, but it is not a secret that many men would understand. You will not find this information in any database, file, or even in the most ancient of books. This is something I know because it was told to me by my mentor, the sage Braya. I believe he's the only other person here who knows of it-oh and of course, the late Adrock Thurston would know. After all, he's been there."

"What are you talking about? Been where?"

"Oh, maybe you're not ready yet, Alex. I don't think anyone is ready. This isn't something a man would take lightly. It's bigger than Coralians, humans, LFOs, or anything such; A ten thousand year old mystery. Even I don't know it all. The time will come when you shall know, my friend. I cannot tell you, but if you really must know, ask Braya."

Mark sighed then strode off back into the Federation building. Arner was left bewildered at something new he had to know. Arner had a desire for knowledge. Later on, Arner deserted the Federation, still without knowledge of this mystery and even if he hadn't had to escape the Federations clutches, he wouldn't obtain the information there because both General Markus and Sage Braya were murdered by Dewey Novak during a raid on the Tarsian Military Base. Though, Arner had his sources and he was able to meet one man whom could tell him this secret, but not all of it was revealed and Arner knew there was more that was hiding.

There he sat, four years later and he still had a desire for knowledge and a desire for power. He still had yet to obtain everything he wanted.

"May I come in, sir?" asked Hyde.

"Yes," answered Arner and Hyde walked into the office.

"There's a little problem," Hyde informed.

"What?" asked Arner.

"It appears there was a virus on one of the computers so some systems may be down, but it's nothing major. Also, there have been some problems with the experiments, but I assure you that we have some great results. We have Dr. Schneider keeping everything under control."

"Is something bothering you, Hyde?" asked Arner.

"Sir," Hyde said, "it's been a very long time, we must act. We can't let the Key slip away from out grasp, we need-"

"I told you to give me some time," Arner informed.

"You've had enough time, sir, but-"

"I'm not stupid, Mr. Henry Hyde. I know how that damned government works. I know each and every general and all political and other military leaders. Spies are a large aid to this corporation. I know the Federations plans."

"What do you know, sir?"

"The Federation knows enough about us…They are not exactly sure, but they believe we're connected to Gekkostate's incidents. They won't attack until they are sure that it is us. If we capture Eureka now, the Federation is soon to run an attack on us. Our adversaries are mainly stupid-minded fools, but there are those few who are strong…like Gekkostate. Something is bound to happen and there are several possibilities. If another incident is to occur, and we are not involved, the government will grow less suspicious of us. The government has several ideas on the case."

"Should Steller-"

"Steller's failed me enough. I am beginning to loose trust in him. He's cause critical damage to this operation and has made it more difficult to retrieve Eureka. I don't believe he can breach the Gekko-Go anymore without a casualty. He also could cause damage to Eureka and that cannot happen. It is difficult enough to obtain Eureka. Now we must wait for her to slip into our grasp. If Steller, my best operative couldn't accomplish the retrieval, I don't know how the rest of those ruffians will."

"I understand, Sir," said Hyde, but Arner knew that Hyde did not.

"The time will come…our chance," Arner said.

Hyde then left the room. Hyde sat back in his chair and thought for a moment.

_Why do I hesitate? _He thought,_ Am I afraid? Am I too cautious? Maybe I don't want to take a drastic approach again. Maybe I should let the Federation and Gekkostate do all the work. If Eureka causes a dilemma to Gekkostate, she's sure to come apart from them. If they are less secure about her, the easier it will be. If the Federation has a hold of her, it's even better._

Steller still stood with against the wall of the hanger for he had nothing better to do. He did nothing in his life, he had no life. He was more like a machine than a human. He did not have blood and he could not feel anything. He was just a body without a soul.

Then, a man entered the hanger. The man was normal height and had short, neatly combed black hair and brown eyes. He wore a black suit and had black gloves on. The man looked around then reached into a bag he had on a shoulder strap and he pulled out a black camera. He then bent down and started taking shots of the Fantom-Xs.

"Who the hell are you?" asked Steller, getting up from the wall.

Obviously the man didn't know he was there for he jumped and looked at Steller with shock.

"Oh, you must be Rothstock," said the man.

He had a strong voice, but he had a nervous tone.

"Steller," Steller corrected.

"Um, Steller…You're one of the pilots-"

"Who the hell are you?"

"I'm Robert Frost. I'm here to take some notes and pictures of the new LFOs."

"That fossil permits you to do that?"

"Fossil?"

"Dr. Hyde."

"Well, yes, as long as I turn all of it over to him. The camera I use is tracked, there's no way the pictures can leave this corporation. It's all high security."

"Like always…" Steller said slowly.

Robert scratched his neck uncomfortably. He seemed nervous at Steller's presence. Most people felt awkward around Steller because he supposedly gave off "the scent of death".

"Are you new here?" asked Steller.

"I've been here for a couple months now," Robert said.

"Who do you work with?"

"I work with a few of the guys at the information department."

"Do you ever leave corporation grounds?"

"Of course not."

Steller swiftly reached into the man's bag and grabbed a notebook. He read one of the pages:

_Roses are red_

_And so is the blood_

_Violets are blue_

_And so is the water_

_Light from the death_

_Light from the sorrow_

_Omitted on the wall_

_Never disappearing_

"What the hell is this?" asked Steller.

"I like to write poetry," answered Robert.

Steller shoved the notebook back into the man's bag.

"Personally, this crap doesn't make sense," Steller said in a cold tone.

"I'm doing my best," Robert said. "It's hard to find something to write about in this place."

Steller glared at the man.

"Do I know you from somewhere?" asked Steller.

"I'm not sure," answered Robert, "but I surely do not know you."

"Why the hell is a guy like you in this place anyhow?"

"It's not like I wanted this job or anything…"

"What?"

"Nevermind…"

Robert then looked at his watch.

"Oh," he said, "I'll see you another time Steller, but right now I have to meet with my superiors."

Then the man walked off.

_What a strange man,_ Steller thought.

Renton lay on his bed just staring at the bunk above. He didn't even know why he wasn't doing anything. He didn't know what to do.

"Renton," said a voice.

Renton turned to see Eureka standing in the doorway.

"Eureka…" he said slowly.

"Renton, I don't feel like I'm doing the right thing," she said sadly.

"What do you mean?" asked Renton.

Eureka took a step forward.

"I just feel like I'm pushing further and further away from you," she answered. "So I just want to…"

"Want to what?"

Eureka walked forward and pushed Renton back onto the bed so that she was directly on top of him.

"So…" she said softly as she blushed, "I want to bring myself closer with you…I want you to be close to me too."

Renton wasn't too nervous, but he had a happy sensation running through him body, especially in his lower body. Eureka kissed him.

"I want to share a special moment with you," Eureka said as she removed Renton's jacket. "I want to be closer than ever."

Renton reached up and removed the straps on Eureka's outfit.

"Eureka…" he said softly.

_Here I go,_ he thought.

"Hey! Renton!" Matthieu said as he barged into the room.

Renton and Eureka didn't look at him.

Matthieu walked closer and then hit Renton on the side.

"Renton!"

"Whaaaa!" Renton wailed as he fell out of the bed.

He rose from the floor and looked up at Matthieu. Moondoggie was in the doorway.

"We still need to talk," Matthieu said with a smile on his face.

"Where's Eureka?" Renton said as he looked around the room.

"What? I don't know. She's not here," Matthieu said.

Renton realized that he was tired; he had just woken up from a dream.

"Just a dream?" Renton asked himself.

"What do you mean just-"

The smile on Matthieu's face widened.

"Oh, so that's what that was," he said teasingly.

"What was what?" asked Renton.

"_Uh, Eureka…Oh, Eureka_," Matthieu said in a mimicking voice. "What were you dreaming about, huh?"

Moondoggie began to chuckle.

"It was nothing," Renton said quickly, turning red.

"_Uh, Eureka! That's it Eureka! Yes! Yes!"_ Matthieu mimicked again though Renton knew that that part was just in Matthieu's imagination.

"Shut up!" Renton said.

"C'mon, Renton, what happened in the dream?" asked Matthieu.

"It wasn't anything."

Renton had absolutely no intention of telling Matthieu about his dream. He wouldn't' tell anyone of course. It was just a dream that was already beginning to fade and it wasn't something that would happen anyways.

"Aww…" groaned Matthieu.

Renton walked out of the room and strode down to the lounge. He entered the lounge to find the three children sitting there again in front of the TV.

"Cookies are ready!" said Gidget's voice from the kitchen.

"Cookies!" cheered the children and they jumped off the couch.

"Hello, Renton! Want a cookie?" asked a very cheerful voice.

At first, Eureka was the last person he expected to see, but there she stood with a big smile on her face, an apron on her body, and a tray of cookies in her mitten-covered hands. She and Gidget walked out of the kitchen and the children greedily swapped cookie off the tray and ran back to the couch.

"Eureka made the cookies herself!" Gidget said cheerful.

Renton gazed at the cookies. They looked fresh, but maybe a little too brown. He grabbed one off the tray with a "thank you" and took a bite. Hard as rock. It even hurt his teeth. He turned to see the children stuffing something under the cushion.

"Aren't they good?" asked Gidget.

When Renton gave the cookie a disgusted look, Gidget put her hand on his shoulder and squeezed.

"Owwwww yeah…yes, they're pretty good," Renton agreed forcefully.

"Thank you!" thanked Eureka cheerfully.

Renton couldn't help, but smile at Eureka's cheerful face, it didn't seem to be false or forced, but a perfect and beautiful smile. Renton and Eureka stared into each others eyes for a few seconds, a long few unblinking seconds. Eureka seemed to have gone through a sudden mood change. Then Gidget tapped Renton on the arm and he blinked.

"Uh, how has everything been Eureka?" he asked kindly.

"Good, you?" she replied.

"I'm fine…"

Gidget gave him an awkward look as if to say "Is that the best you've got?"

"Can we talk?" asked Renton.

"Sure!" answered Eureka.

He led Eureka outside of the room and Gidget followed.

"Alone," Renton added.

Gidget gave him another more proud look as if to say "Got it!" and then she winked and closed the door. There was an awkward silence, but Eureka kept a smile.

"Eureka…" Renton said slowly, "I…I just want to apologize for being such an idiot these past few days. I mean…I was a real idiot! I…will you forgive me?"

"Renton," she said, her smile slightly fading, "of course I will forgive you. I have to admit that I haven't been the best to you these past few days either."

"Is there a way I can make it up to you?" Renton asked.

"Just…just be happy and with me. I promise to be happy from now on!"

Renton was surprised at Eureka's sudden change.

_I wonder if Gidget slipped her any happy pills,_ Renton thought jokingly.

"People are like magnets," Eureka said.

"Huh?" asked Renton.

"People are like magnets," continued Eureka, "if you give off magnetic energy, you shall attract things. If we give off happy energy, good things will be attracted to us!"

"I never thought of it like that," Renton admitted.

Renton knew that that was something Gidget told her.

"Like magnets huh?" asked Renton happily.

"Yes, so we-"

Renton's _magnetic _lips drew to Eureka's and he kissed her affectionately. She allowed him to push her back and wrapped her arms around his neck. Eureka's breath tasted like cookie dough and she made moans of pleasure. Renton felt as if he was in his dream, but of course he knew that what happened there wasn't something she would do.

"I love you, Eureka," he said softly as he drew back a few centimeters.

"I love you too, Renton," she answered as she pushed forward against his lips.

They kissed for what may have been a few seconds, but seemed to be quite a while before Renton felt someone's presence. He drew back and turned his head. Jobs was standing a few feet away. He had his head slightly lowed and his index finger on his glasses.

"Ahem," Jobs cleared his throat, "would you mind finding another location for such activities?"

"Why?" asked Renton.

"Because public showing of affection can cause some to feel uneasy," Jobs answered.

"Like who?" asked Renton who already knew one of the answers, the blushing man with the glasses that he was talking to.

"Some people," answered Jobs, still not looking directly at them.

"Alright," Renton answered and Jobs walked into the lounge.

Renton turned back to Eureka who had a surprised look on her face.

"He's pretty weird," Renton chuckled.

"I know," Eureka giggled and they kissed once again.

"Oliver was a great man, strong, wise, intelligent, thrifty, and thorough. He was like a brother to me," said a captain at Captain Redd's commemoration ceremony.

"What's going on with you?" asked Seizo as he sat next to Dominic in the auditorium.

"I don't even know anymore," Dominic answered.

He felt a little bad talking during his captain's ceremony, but the captain at the podium had a long and boring speech and Seizo usually had something important to say when he talked in the middle of a ceremony. Plus, Dominic hadn't been too close to captain Redd. Redd was a strong and determined leader. He had served well in past wars and battles. He had had six SOF team members that were deceased or had retired, but he remained captain and seemed a little disappointed with his new eight rookie members. They trained hard, but eventually Dominic became the most determined and was titled Lieutenant. Seizo had always wanted the title, but even in their rivalry, they became friends. Dominic had quite a few memories from joining the SOF, but he still wasn't sure if it had been the best decision.

"Just the other day," Seizo said, "I was looking up some old government files, just to see if they have any info on this whole situation."

"What did you find?" asked Dominic.

"A whole bunch of crap," answered Seizo, "Though there's some stuff on Coralians and the Coral, but nothing too useful…"

"Nothing?" asked Dominic.

"Well, there was this one bit…it was about Adrock Thurston."

"What did it say?"

"It wasn't that long. It talked about some expedition. Adrock and a few other scientists went in some unexplored area; said something about the Coral. Though for some reason the rest of the expedition was unrecorded. At least, not be the Federation."

"Obviously it has to do with the Promised Land," Dominic said.

"Right after the expedition Adrock came up with some new inventions and plans that led to the Summer of Love."

"So you know your history of Adrock Thurston…"

"Hey, it was pretty interesting."

"Alright…" said Dominic as the ceremony was only half over.

"How are you and your girl doing?" asked Seizo curiously.

"There are some minor problems," Dominic told him.

"Like what?"

"Gulliver, Anemone's-our pet…well, he doesn't use his litter box if it's not clean and I forgot to clean it…"

"Oh, so that's why you were so eager to get out of the house."

"Yeah and that's why Anemone didn't want to come. She probably wouldn't like it anyhow…other than that, we're doing fine."

"That's nice…Some more things have popped up."

"Like what?"

"_Captain _Dominic knows nothing?"

"Alright, alright. I promised Anemone I would settle away from work over the weekend."

"Dominic, the SOF is important."

"I know…I just asked the chief if I could have a break, you _are _lieutenant so you should be able to take over for me. What's the news?"

"Well, the Feds believe that they know who was involved in the HQ attack, but there's really no proof. Now some shipment of stuff is coming in along with the repairs."

"Stuff?" Dominic asked curiously.

"New weapons, ammunition, LFOs, land vehicles, soldiers, all kinds off new toys," answered Seizo. "Also, some big colonel came into the base and is preparing for something."

"What?"

"He says something big is on the verge of occurrence. Maybe a war…"

"A war? With who?"

"I have no idea, but SOF is bound to get involved so be prepared."

There was a ringing coming from Seizo's pocket and he pulled out a cell phone.

"What?" he asked into the phone, "alright, got it."

I have to go," he said as he stood up. "See you whenever."

"Alright," Dominic said as Seizo walked away.

_Something big is going to happen,_ Dominic thought, _Will I be ready?_

Chapter 21:

"It's so difficult…" Eureka said as she gazed down the cliff below.

"What is?" asked Renton who stood behind her.

"So difficult to…to understand…to know…so difficult to forget."

"Eureka, I will be here with you…always."

"Will you?"

She turned back and looked at him. He could tell that her eyes were filled with despair. Renton didn't know what to do.

"Eureka…You know I love you. I will always be by your side…I will always protect you!" he told her.

"Really?" she asked almost unbelievingly.

"Of course!"

"Then will you be by my side when…Will can you protect me from…"

Eureka turned back and stared into the night sky before them. Renton stepped forward to hold her and comfort her.

"Eureka, I-"

Right before he could hold her, she fell forward and off the cliff.

"Eureka!" Renton screamed as she fell down into the dark abyss.

Before he knew what he was doing, Renton plunged down after her.

_What am I doing? _he thought, _Am I going to die? Is Eureka going to die? Is this how it ends?_

Suddenly Renton felt into a pool of water. He struggled, but finally found a piece of land to pull himself up. He frantically looked around for Eureka, but saw nothing.

"Eureka!" he called.

"Do you want to know?" said an unfamiliar voice, the voice of an adult male; a wise and mysterious voice.

"Know what?" asked Renton into the darkness.

"Do you want to know some secrets? Some very significant secrets?"

"Does it have to do with Eureka?" asked Renton slowly.

"It is all about Eureka…at least most of it."

"Tell me!"

Renton saw a faint red glow far in front of him. There were two glowing objects. They appeared to be two glowing angular shapes-eyes, they were eyes, menacing eyes glaring at him. Then, they rapidly flew forward and a colossal spike drove through his body. Blood sprayed everywhere.

"Gyaaaaaaaaa!!!!" Renton screamed as he threw off the bed covers.

He found himself breathing heavily and he was sweating all over, but he was in bed, safe and sound in his comfy bed.

"What's wrong?" asked Eureka worriedly beside him.

"There-this-thing-it-you…It was a nightmare," Renton said calmly.

"Oh," she said brushing her hand on Renton's cheek. "You're alright now."

"Yeah…" Renton said slowly.

"What was that?" asked Maeter in a scared tone.

"Renton just had a bad dream," Maurice told her in a tired voice.

"I almost thought it was the monster!" Linck said.

"What monster?" asked Eureka.

"The monster on the ship!" Linck told her.

"What are you talking about Linck?" asked Eureka. "There are no monsters on this ship."

"Yes, there is," Linck told her, "We saw some smashed stuff and blood in one of the back rooms."

"Stop it! I don't want to talk about that!" Maeter told Linck.

There was a pause.

"Go to sleep," Eureka said calmly.

The children whispered something, but they soon fell asleep a few minutes later. Renton didn't concentrate on what they had been talking about. He was more concerned with his dream. An odd dream it was. Eureka had fallen into an abyss…darkness…despair.

_But she's happy now? _Renton asked himself. _Isn't she?_

Then he remembered that voice.

_Do you want to know?_

He didn't recognize the voice, but he knew it might be significant. Then those eyes; those horrible eyes came to mind.

_What were those eyes?_

Renton knew that his odd dreams meant something, but the answer was still shrouded by darkness. Many answered were shrouded by darkness, the darkness of a deep bottomless pit. Renton turned to look at Eureka and his hope for comfort sank.

Eureka had no smile on her face. She was definitely awake and staring at Renton. She wasn't exactly looking at him, but looking toward him out into space. Her face was blank and a very sad look shown in her eyes.

"Eureka?" Renton asked slowly.

"Yes?" Eureka answered.

She smiled, but Renton knew it was false this time. Eureka's mouth twitched and she rolled over to have her back facing Renton. He thought he heard a sob and he put his arm on her.

"Eureka, are you alright?" he asked kindly.

"I'm alright…" she said.

"Eureka, I just-"

"I said I'm alright!"

Eureka's tone was raised and Renton felt even more worried.

"I…I'm sorry…" she said as she relaxed her shoulders.

They were both silent.

"Promise me…" she said slowly, "promise me something, Renton."

"Yes?" said Renton.

"Promise me that we'll do something fun tomorrow," she told him.

"Of course," Renton said.

Eureka rolled over again and kissed him. He noticed that she had a few dried tears on her face, but he didn't ask anything else. He soon fell asleep.

"Cleaning?" everyone asked simultaneously as most of Gekkostate was gathered in the lounge.

"Yes, cleaning!" Talho answered who was standing in front of everyone with her eyes closed and her arms crossed.

"Aw, but we don't need to do any cleaning," Matthieu protested.

"What's that?" Talho asked. "I do recall your room looking like a pigsty! Have you not noticed the crumbs all over this carpet? The kitchen has old food and wrappers everywhere, the windows have spots on them, the furniture stinks, and bathroom B smells like a stink bomb exploded in there."

Matthieu, Moondoggie, Gidget, and Renton groaned. Matthieu then nudged Holland. The Gekko-Go was currently docked in an airport of a miscellaneous city and Talho obviously decided to get some work done as they got more repairs and refueled.

"Oi, Holland," Matthieu said. "Tell her to postpone it to another day."

Holland sighed.

"We better get to work," he told everyone as he stood up.

Matthieu had a betrayed look on his face.

"I'm not complaining," Hilda said as she also stood. "I'll go clean up some of the storage rooms."

"I'll help you," Eureka said as she rushed to follow Hilda.

"No, I you might need to do something else," Hilda told her.

"No, I really want to help," Eureka begged with her hands folded.

"Um…alright," Hilda said and she led Eureka out the door.

"Hap, you can clean up the bridge," Talho said.

"Sure," Hap replied as he walked out.

"Matthieu, you're cleaning the kitchen," Talho announced.

"I am?" asked Matthieu in smart alec tone.

Talho put her hands on her hips and gave Matthieu a squinting glare.

"Alright, alright, I'll do it," Matthieu told her.

"Moondoggie, you can clean bathroom B," Talho announced.

"Hey! No one I'm doing that!" Moondoggie said as Matthieu chuckled.

"You're doing it no matter what," Talho ordered.

"Fine, but I get Renton," Moondoggie said as he grabbed Renton.

"No, Renton is going to help Mischa in the medical room," Talho said.

"Yes, ma'am," Renton said as he exited the room and Moondoggie grumbled.

Renton really didn't complain about cleaning. He didn't care about doing some work. He had cleaned the ship before with Eureka a year ago and he would do it again, but he would've rather worked with Eureka. After all, he needed to keep his promise.

Renton made his way to the medical room to find Mischa inside changing baby Charles' diapers. The infant didn't complain as Mischa strapped the diaper on with a smile on her face.

"I'm here to help," Renton said as he entered.

"Ah, yes, thank you," Mischa said as she went to the counter. "See all these," Mischa pointed to some small containers of pills, "these all need to go in the proper containers. The colored label corresponds to what box you must place it in."

"Go it," Renton said as he looked at a red container.

"Now, I have something I must get from my quarters," Mischa said, "Will you watch Charles for me?"

"Of course," Renton answered tiredly.

Mischa smiled, put Charles in a highchair, and walked out of the room. Renton sighed and looked at the seemingly myriad of bottles on the counter. Obviously Mischa was reorganizing. Renton spent a few minutes putting the containers where they belonged then he sat back against the counter. He then noticed a piece of paper on the ground and picked it up. It was some sort of research document with "Tresor Research Institute" on the top. Renton couldn't read most of it, but it was some research paper. There was also a list of names: Dr. Greg Egan, Dr. Mischa Egan, Dr. Danik Enson, Dr. Sonia Wakabayashi, Dr. Juliet Burke, Dr. Albert Wily, and many more.

Renton presumed that it was an old paper from when Mischa worked for Tresor and he put it on the counter. Charles immediately started wailing and Renton went up to him in his highchair. The baby started patting the tray in front of him on which a pacifier lay. Renton picked up the pacifier and put it in Charles' mouth. The infant looked cute as he sucked on it happily.

"It seems you're the only person I can talk to now," Renton said to Charles. "I wonder what's going on in your head. You don't have to worry about the troubles and dilemmas o adults. You may cry a few times, but it is never like something I would cry about."

The baby looked curiously at Renton as if he actually understood him.

"I wonder if I can try to help Eureka…" Renton said. "Help her with whatever dark problem she has in her…I have to help her. It's my duty. Gonzy told me to care for her in her harsh times…something harsh is happening to Eureka, but I don't know what."

He looked at the baby again and the baby just stare back at him with his shiny olive colored eyes-Talho's eyes. Charles then slipped the pacifier slightly out of his mouth.

"Mamamama…." Charles said.

"Mama, huh?" asked Renton. "You're lucky you have a mama. I don't know a thing about my mom and Eureka never had one."

The baby stared at him confusedly.

"Are you finished, Renton?" asked Mischa as she walked in.

"Yes, Mama-Mischa," answered Renton quickly.

"Good," she said. "Can you take Charles to Holland's room and put him in the crib."

"Okay," Renton said as he picked Charles up from the highchair.

_Ring…ring…_

Still no answer. Holland just sat on his bed with his cell phone up to his ear. Then the voice mail came on.

"Hey, it's Stoner," said the machine, "I can't pick up the phone right now so I'll leave a message after the…beep."

_Beep!_

"Hey, Stoner," Holland said into the phone. "It's Holland. I just wanted to see how you are doing. I've been thinking about you lately and you haven't really told me anything yet. What's up? I hope you're not tangled in this whole mess. The Federations is all over it. Call me back."

He then hung up and sat there thinking.

"Hello," said Renton as he entered the room with Charles in his arms.

"Hey…" Holland greeted back.

Renton took Charles to his crib and laid him in. Renton then went to the bed and sat down next to Holland.

"What are you doing?" asked Renton.

"Just calling a friend," Holland replied.

"Is everything alright?" Renton asked.

"Of course."

"Oi," said Hilda as she appeared in the doorway, "Eureka, Gidget, Mischa, the kids, and I are going downtown to get some supplies. Want to come?"

"I don't think Eureka should-" Holland started.

"You have to let her out of here sometime," Hilda interrupted. "I'll keep a close eye on her. If nothing happens this time, she should be okay."

"Fine," Holland agreed. "Maybe I should come just in case."

He pulled a pistol from underneath the bed and put it in his pants.

"Then again, maybe you should stay and rest," Hilda suggested.

"No, I-" started Holland.

"Holland!" Talho came into the room. "You were the last one to use bathroom B."

"Huh, what?" asked Holland.

Talho grabbed him and dragged him out of the room. Hilda looked at Renton and shrugged.

"You wanna come?" she asked.

"Sure," Renton said and he got up and followed Hilda out.

Voices ran through Steller's head. They were memories being played-like an audio tape without any images:

"Roth!"

"Get down!"

"Aaaargh!"

"Roth, get the gun!"

"I've got it."

"Do it Roth!"

_Bam! Bam! Bam!_

"They've got us stuck up here!"

_Bam!_

"Roth, do it!"

"Wait!"

"Pull the goddam trigger!"

_Crack!_

Steller put his hand on the front of his mask. He walked out into the main corridor and started to walk to his quarters when someone put there hand on his shoulder.

"Hey, Steller, buddy 'ol pal!" said Ben as he patted Steller.

Steller immediately spun around and knocked away Ben's arm.

"Ow!" Ben wailed, shaking his hand.

"I'm not your 'buddy'," Steller said coldly.

"Hey, I'm only trying to be nice. We're comrades aren't we?" asked Ben.

"You're an annoying and cocky fool," Steller said again.

"Aren't we all?" asked Ben proudly.

Steller was about to say something, but Ben diverted his attention to something behind Steller. Steller turned around to see a few of the guards and workers in the corridor turning their heads toward a young woman who was walking down the hall carrying a metal briefcase. Ben gave off a little whistle.

"Who the hell is she?" asked Steller.

"Dr. Elsa Schneider," Ben answered merrily "one of the only women in this place and _the _only goddess here."

Steller looked at her. She had blackish brown hair that was tied in a bun and her bangs were combed to the side of her face. She wore small glasses, a typical DS scientist lab coat, and high heals. Though, she did not at all look as if she was trying to impress anyone with her looks. Steller remembered her name from somewhere. It was true, not many women worked for the corporation and Elsa Schneider was one of the few. She was supposed to be one of the top scientists below Hyde.

"Only twenty-nine," Ben told Steller even though Steller didn't care.

"And you are?" asked Steller.

"Twenty-five…older women are always the good ones."

Steller shook his head.

"Hello, Steller," she said in a kind voice as she earnestly strode up to Steller.

"_Hello,_ Doctor," Ben said in a trying-to-be-cool voice.

Elsa gave him a look as if to say, "I wasn't talking to you".

"I'm Dr. Elsa Schneider," she said, shaking Steller's hand firmly. "My new assignment is to check to see if your new body is functioning properly, can I have a moment with you?"

"Sure," Steller said solemnly.

"Mind if I come?" asked Ben as he winked.

"Yes, I mind," Elsa said in an annoyed voice.

She led Steller to his quarters and pushed the buttons on the keypad. She seemed to already know the password: _Ekajata_.

"Here we are," she said as she let Steller step in first.

Steller had rarely ever been to his quarters. It was a typical room for DS regular guards: a square room, fifteen feet wide, one bed, one locker, a small safe, a small table and chair, two plug outlets, and a bit of room for miscellaneous processions.

"Sit down, please," Elsa asked kindly.

Steller took a seat on the bed and Elsa sat next to him and opened her briefcase. Inside were what appeared to be medical supplies. Elsa removed a small cylinder device with a syringe at the end.

"This may actually sting," she warned as she slowly drove the needle into Steller's neck.

He felt a slight sting, but it didn't affect him. Elsa held it in for a few seconds then removed it and looked at a small screen on the cylinder. She nodded, wiped the needle, and placed it back in the case. She then took out another device that looked like a barcode scanner with a blue light.

"Hold still," she said even though Steller had been doing so the entire time.

Elsa carefully placed the scanner on Steller's arm and moved across it. She then carefully scanned Steller's other arm and chest.

"So," Steller said, trying to strike a conversation, "what's your sad story?"

"_Sad_ story?" asked Elsa as she scanned his abdomen.

"Oh, come on…" said Steller, "Only the most pathetic and lousy people work for this 'corporation'."

"Hmm," chuckled Elsa, "does that me you?"

"I don't know what I am anymore…"

"Well, all I know is that you're Rothstock K. Steller, about six feet, five inches tall, your blood type is O-, at least the blood left in you, your body is 70% machine, you weigh approximately 215 kilograms, you are skilled at both range and close-combat, you have the reputation as ultimate killer, most people in the outside world believe you're dead, and you're Arner's top assassin, bodyguard, and super soldier."

"I'm guessing you have files on me," Steller said with an unsurprised tone.

"The files on you are especially classified, only shown to certain scientists such as myself. You are a unique type of soldier and the first to have this type of trappar-run body. Though I do not have full information on you so I don't really know your past…"

She stopped scanning then pulled out a small touchpad on which she wrote some notes.

"What's your past?" asked Steller rather incuriously.

"I was born and raised in a small town called Caldera. My mother died when I was young and my father died when I was eighteen. I am an only child as were my parents so I haven't any close relatives. I formerly worked at a Federation Science Facility, but was fired because I studied subjects they didn't find appropriate. So I joined the corporation to continue my studies and I made my way to being one of the head scientists. I've worked here for six months now."

"What kind of studies?" asked Steller.

"Like the things we do here."

"Such as?"

"Um…classified."

"What's your story?" asked Elsa curiously.

"My story isn't one I enjoy talking about," Steller said darkly. "Both my parents when I was young. I lived with my aunt and uncle and I used to take care of three orphan children along with my cousin."

"Where does the whole assassin part fit in?" asked Elsa.

"I was a Peacekeeper…"

"You were a Peacekeeper?"

"Yes, but most of my training came from here. I won't talk about my last mission, but because of it, I ended up losing a lot of friends, family, and comrades. Many lost their lives and I vowed to seek revenge…especially for the one I loved most."

"Seems like a dark enough story," commented Elsa as she packed up her devices and closed the case. "Well, I have something very important to attend to, but I will see you soon."

Elsa opened her case once more to check if she had everything then got up to leave, but she tripped and a few things spilled out of the case.

"Crap, not again…" she said under her breathe.

Steller, had no interest at all in helping her pick up her equipment or papers, but then her noticed a familiar looking piece of paper.

"Good, nothing's damaged," Elsa said as she put everything back into the case.

"What's this?" asked Steller as he showed her the paper he had picked up.

_To my dear Elsa,_

_Roses are red_

_And so is the blood_

_Violets are blue_

_And so is the water_

_Light from the death_

_Light from the sorrow_

_Omitted on the wall_

_Never disappearing_

"Oh, that's from a friend," Elsa told him as she took the paper back and put it in her coat pocket.

"Robert Frost?" asked Steller.

"How did you know?"

"I saw him the other day."

"Well, he's a friends of mine…I guess you could say he's my admirer and he likes to write me poems."

"Doesn't look like a poem I'd write to a woman."

"You write poetry?"

"No."

"Then don't judge one unless you can say 'I can do better'."

Steller shook his head and Elsa bid him farewell as she walked out of the room. Steller sat in silence thinking about what he was going to do with his worthless life.

"Alright," said Hilda, "Renton, you come with me, Eureka, you go with Gidget."

The four of them were standing at the downtown of a miscellaneous city that Renton was not familiar with. The kids, including Charles, went off with Mischa to the toy store. They were all dressed in casual clothes and Gidget had a big sparkly handbag while Hilda had a plainer one.

"I want to go with Eureka," Renton protested.

"Nope!" said Gidget waving her finger in the air, "Eureka and I are going to have some Girl Time."

"_Girl Time?_" asked Renton awkwardly.

"Just don't fool around," warned Hilda.

"We won't," Gidget sighed. "C'mon, Eureka."

She pulled Eureka off to a random store and Hilda started to walk in the opposite direction.

"Let's go, Renton," Hilda said and Renton followed.

The streets were a little busy and a few people recognized them, but no one caused any commotion. Hilda pulled out a list and began reading off a few items.

"Sodas, paper, batteries…a new toilet plunger…tools, a cooler, some air freshener…"

"Gidget's acting weird lately," Renton said to Hilda as he walked with his hands behind his head.

"Gidget's a girl," Hilda told him matter-of-fact.

"So?"

"Renton, you still have a lot to learn about girls," Hilda informed, still looking at the list.

"I've lived with Eureka-"

"Eureka isn't technically a normal girl. She's different, but I'm sure Gidget will teach her a few things."

"Why do you guys always treat me like-"

"You are…you're still a kid with a lot to learn."

Renton crossed his arms.

"Well, I'm mature enough to talk about…" Renton started.

"Talk about what?"

"Nevermind," he said with Matthieu and Moondoggie coming into mind.

"Here we are!"

Hilda took Renton into a store and as Renton expected, he was the one to carry all the bought products.

"Girl Time?" asked Eureka.

She didn't quite understand the meaning.

"Yes," said Gidget, "you and I are going to have some fun."

"Hilda said not to fool around."

"We're not! This is important; important to you, to me, and to your relationship with Renton."

"You'll help me with Renton more?"

"Of course!"

Gidget turned around and looked at Eureka.

"Hmm…" she said as she thought. "Your hair is a lot longer than before so we'll need to get that done and that outfit…I mean it's old and…personally, Eureka, I never liked your style. No offense."

Eureka said nothing.

"Well," Gidget announced, "let's get started!"

Gidget led Eureka into several shops and Eureka found herself with a new hairstyle and a few accessories she was not familiar with. Gidget seemed to have a large amount of money for she paid for it all plus, they received generous discounts for reasons that Eureka didn't understand. It had something to do with being part of Gekkostate. Then they came to a clothing store and Gidget pushed Eureka inside.

"Now, let's see," Gidget said as she looked through the clothing. "Too big…too small…Eureka what size are you?"

"Size of what?" asked Eureka.

Gidget sighed.

"Clothing size of course!"

"I…I don't know," replied Eureka.

"Oh, we'll have to find _something _that will fit you. You're pretty skinny."

"Can't I wear my old clothes?" Eureka suggested.

"Yes, but I think you need a little change. I mean that outfit is old and not really in style. Let's find something cool."

"Why?"

"Ugh…You still have a lot to learn about guys Eureka! They're all about…"

"All about what?"

"Well, they like a girl who looks good. I mean, you look cute and all, but Renton will like you more if you…look more attractive."

"Attractive?"

"It's all about 'turning him on'."

"Turning him on?"

Eureka had no idea what Gidget was talking about.

"Turn-ons, turn-ons, turn-ons! It's all about turn-ons! Ah here we go!" Gidget exclaimed.

Gidget pushed Eureka into a changing room and Eureka changed into the set of clothes Gidget had given her. She walked out and Gidget looked at her.

"Nah," Gidget said.

Eureka ended up changing several times and finally Gidget decided on a certain look and they bought it all, including a small handbag Gidget had seemed to have summoned out of nowhere, and left the store.

"Man, there's a lot of people here," Gidget said with surprise as they saw a massive river of people moving down the walkway. "Stay close."

"Alright," said Eureka.

They stepped into the crowed with Gidget clutching Eureka's hand tightly. A few people bumped into them, but Eureka kept a good hold on Gidget. Then, a really cumbersome man practically rammed into Eureka's and Gidget's hands and Gidget was pushed away by a few people.

"Hey! Eureka!" she called, but Eureka couldn't locate her amongst the sea of people.

Eureka tried to escape and finally found the edge of the walkway and freed herself from the massive crowd. She was terribly worried about being lost and she stood on her tiptoes to try and locate Gidget, but couldn't see Gidget's hat amongst the flowing heads.

"Oh no…" Eureka said to herself.

Suddenly, Eureka felt herself pulled to the side by someone. She was pulled into a small alley nearby and she tried to break her arm free from whoever had a hold on her.

"Calm down," said a kind, but unrecognizable voice.

Eureka looked to see that the man who pulled her over was a tall gentleman wearing a normal business suit with golden blonde hair and a small grin on his face.

"What do you want?" asked Eureka nervously.

"I don't want to hurt you," he said kindly as he released his hold on her. "I just want to talk."

Eureka looked back at the end of the alley in case she had to run.

"Who are you?" Eureka asked, still nervous.

"My name is Jacob Wakabayashi. I'm a scientist and I want to help," he answered.

"Wh-what do you want?" asked Eureka.

"I know that you've been facing some very serious problems. We can help with it."

"We?"

"My fellow researchers and I."

Eureka was very unsure.

"I have to go right now, but please take this."

He handed Eureka a small paper card.

"Come when you'd like," he said, "but I suggest that you come before something drastic happens. It could get ugly. You shouldn't mention this too much to your friends, they will only be overcautious."

The man then briskly walked, disappearing into the crowd. Eureka stood bewildered in the alleyway. She looked down at the card: 381 Taiga Rd., Kanna Town.

It only had an address on it. Eureka stared at the card blankly and wondered what to do. The man's name came into mind.

_Jacob Wakabayashi,_ she thought, _I wonder if he's related to Sonia Wakabayashi? She's a scientist too and they look similar. What does he know? _

Eureka put the card in her bag and finally walked out of the alleyway to see that the crowd had lessened.

"There you are!" Gidget called as she ran to Eureka. "You had me worried to death! You…What's wrong?"

Gidget looked at Eureka's bewildered face.

"It's nothing!" Eureka replied as she grinned. "I was just a little lost."

Chapter 22: Here In Your Arms

"Do we really need all this stuff?" asked Renton as he walked along, desperately dragging four heavy bags.

He didn't understand why _he_ had to carry the heavy load and Hilda only had a few small plastic bags.

"We need it all," Hilda replied, still looking at her list. "I think that's it…Now to find everyone else."

They walked around a bit and eventually came across Mischa and the kids. The kids were carrying a few bags with toys and snacks and all three of them were licking ice cream out of a cone. Renton still felt distressed with the heavy load he carried.

"Can we go sit down somewhere?" he asked.

"Hey! There you are!" called Gidget's voice.

Everyone turned to see Gidget running toward them. At first, Renton only noticed Gidget, but then he saw Eureka and he really couldn't believe his eyes. Eureka was different, she looked different. She looked like a different person. Her hair was held back by a flowery hair band, her cheeks had a little bit of pink on them, she wore a white bead necklace, she had on a bright pink top with no sleeves and very thin straps, and she had a short skirt that matched the color of her eyes. Her sandals were the same color as her top and she carried a pink handbag with a few sparkly décor. He really didn't know why Eureka would need a handbag, she never really carried anything, but then again, in her old outfit, she always wore a pouch on her leg that wasn't really used.

Renton's mouth was agape. He had never seen Eureka look that way before. She had a bright smile on her face as she walked up to him. Renton felt as if he were staring at a different person. He had a sudden warm and pleasurable feeling. Everyone else seemed to be bewildered too.

"Hi, Renton!" she said cheerfully, Renton could tell she was waiting for a good response.

"Huh-Hey, Eureka!" he said, trying to knock off the uncomfortable feeling.

There was a bit of an awkward silence and Gidget gave Renton an awkward look.

"You look beautiful!" Renton blurted out.

"Thank you!" Eureka said with a smile.

She sure was beautiful.

"Where should we go next?" Mischa said, breaking the silence.

"I know!" said Gidget. "We can go to the theme park!"

"Theme park?" asked everyone almost simultaneously.

"Yo! There you are!" called Ben in his annoying voice.

Stellar was just taking a stroll through the corridors and he came across Ben talking to a few other pilots. Ben ran up to Steller and tried to put his arm around him, but decided not to when Steller jerked his head in Ben's direction.

"What the hell do you want?" asked Steller.

"C'mon, we're buddies," Ben said.

"We were assigned onto the same squad," Steller said rather coldly, "but that does not make us 'buddies'. I have no interest in being associated with a naïve novice such as you."

No matter how hard Steller tried, his insults never really reached Ben's brain.

"I ain't no novice," Ben said with a chuckle. "C'mon, we can be friends. Some of the other guys say stuff about you, but I haven't said crap."

Steller knew that Ben was urging him to ask about what others said behind his back, but Steller didn't care.

"No," he replied again coldly. "Why don't you hang around…that kid…"

"Oh you mean Hiro? Oh, he's a shy guy, and oddball, really. The kid is nice, but he really ain't that tough. Oh, look at the time! Well, see ya later!"

Steller just shook his head and kept walking. He walked along the Sector 4 main corridor and bumped into a person walking in the opposite direction. Steller turned to see that it was Robert Frost. Robert wasn't paying attention to where he was walking because he was using a large silver lighter as a mirror to comb a part of his black hair. He was wearing the same suit, but he had no gloves on.

"Oh sorry," Robert said "I didn't see you there."

Steller said nothing and began to walk again.

"Um, does my…" Robert started.

"What?" asked Steller.

"Uh…" Robert continued nervously, "I was going to ask you if my cologne smelled too strong…but I'm not sure if you can smell…"

"I can't," replied Steller, "but why are you wearing cologne in the first place?"

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, please. Why would anyone care about looking nice or wearing cologne in this place?"

"I…I'm attending a meeting?"

Steller said nothing, but he sensed that Robert wanted him to be interested.

"What type of meeting?" Steller asked in an uncurious tone.

"I am having dinner with Dr. Schneider while we discuss important topics."

"That's all?"

"Um…well, I really was sure about asking you, but Elsa really would enjoy it if you would come tonight. I mean, she asked me to ask you if you want to come. You don't have to-"

"Of course," said Steller coldly, "why would I want to attend anything of the sort?"

"Is that your decision? Are you sure you don't want to come…It would be a very peaceful little meeting…you know, maybe it will make you feel…more alive."

Steller kept silent for a moment.

"Just think about it. Her room is located at the top level of the researchers' quarters. Number 2515. The meeting's at eight o'clock and it's somewhat of a formal dinner."

Robert then walked briskly away.

_Meh, _Steller thought, _I would never want to go to meeting with them._

"I'm attending a meeting," Steller answered Ben when the annoying young man asked him what he was doing.

"Right now?" asked Ben curiously.

"No, but I'm preparing for it," Steller answered.

"What's it about?"

"Very important topics."

"Like?"

"I don't know."

"When?"

"Tonight."

"Where?"

"This is really none of your business, novice."

"Well sorry, Mister-Important-Secret-Meeting

"Don't you have something to attend?" asked Steller as he walked past Ben, but Ben still trailed behind him.

"It was just a small announcement meeting for pilots," answered Ben, "I think you should've been there."

Steller said nothing, but his indifference was perceivable.

"Hawk was talking about extra drills and training," continued Ben. "The superiors are expecting something. There! I told you about my meeting so you tell me about yours!"

"No…You really are an obnoxious bastard."

"I was born that way so please tell me."

Steller stopped in his tracks and clenched his fist.

"I am on the verge of slitting your throat," he said darkly.

"Now…now…let's calm down," Ben said in a joking voice.

Steller whirled around and ejected his right wristblade so that it slid right next to Ben's throat.

"I can kill you," Steller told him.

"Whoa, whoa, buddy. If you kill me, there will be a really big problem," protested Ben.

Steller paused then removed the blade.

"Stop hanging around me…and I don't want to hear the word 'buddy' again," he said.

"Okay, buddy!" Ben said as he walked off.

Steller clenched his fist, but decided just to let it go. For some reason, he was hoping for something special at the diner that night.

"Poki Poki Land?" asked Renton as he stared at the sign overhead.

"Wow, I've always wanted to go here!" Gidget exclaimed.

"I've never heard of this theme park…" Renton said.

"Oh, it's new," Hilda told him. "It was opened around a month after you guys left. It's a theme park based off of some kids' cartoon company and is really popular.

"Looks kinda…kiddie," Renton said as he saw the three children getting excited.

"It's for all ages," Gidget said.

"What's a theme park?" Eureka asked Renton.

"Huh?" replied Renton, "oh…um it's a place where people come to have fun."

"What's that?" asked Eureka, pointing to a large rollercoaster.

"That's a ride," Renton answered awkwardly.

"Ride?"

"Yeah, people go on it to have a thrill. Like when people go reffing or take an LFO out for some tricks."

They walked inside the front gates and Hilda bought special VIP passes. The got their tickets, walked through the gate, and Renton found himself surrounded by bright colors and silly looking buildings. There were also funny looking people in costumes signing autographs and taking pictures with kids.

"Renton, Eureka," Gidget said with a wink, "you can have some alone time. C'mon, Hilda, let's go to the Wild Mountain Rollercoaster.

"Let's go take a picture with Bomy-kun," Mischa suggested and the kids ran off to a big smiling brown teddy-bear character.

Renton remembered seeing the character from a kids cartoon once. He was a light brown teddy-bear with big brown eyes, a top hat, and a little shirt and jacket with a tie.

"Bomy-kun…" Renton said.

"Who is he?" asked Eureka staring at Bomy-kun amazed.

"He's an animal guy from some show and movies," answered Renton.

"Is he a real animal?" Eureka asked as Bomy hugged Maurice.

"What? No…he's just a guy in a costume."

Eureka looked around.

"What do we do?" asked Eureka.

"Um…let's go have some fun!" Renton told her.

He grabbed her hand and they went off to explore Poki Poki Land. They found many great attractions: Whirlwind Spincups, Drop Tower, Trappar Tunnel, Jet Train, Time Warp Ride, Story Book adventure, and much, much more. They went on so many rides that Renton couldn't keep track. They didn't have to wait in the long lines because of the VIP passes and a few people noticed them and asked for autographs, but Renton refused. Eureka seemed to enjoy the rides except for the LFO simulator which she complained was not as good as the SOF simulator. At first, she had a worried face, but later she got used to the rides and she was having tons of fun.

Renton was happy to see her smile. She looked so beautiful as they rode on the Skyfish Skyrail. The sun reflected on her as her hair blew in the wind and Renton could peel his eyes off of her. Sorry was not present at that moment and Renton new it would stay that way. He almost wanted to never leave the park. It seemed to be his first real date with Eureka in a city. He loved her so much.

"Having fun?" Renton asked.

"Of course," Eureka said with a smile.

"If I could, I'd buy you the whole park," Renton said. "Just for you."

"I'm happy just visiting it," Eureka answered.

Eureka just so beautiful that it made Renton couldn't stop smiling. He felt like doing things with her that he had never thought about or had done before. She had sure changed a bit. He never really noticed in her normal clothes, but her breast were somewhat bigger. Maybe not as big to the point that everyone would be looking at her, but she certainly wasn't flat-chested. Her hair was, of course, longer and she had grown a few inches taller. Her short was extremely short, but her normal outfit was short anyways. She just seemed more attractive. He looked at her up and down like a scanner.

"Renton?" Eureka asked.

"Yes?" asked Renton cheerful.

"Do I turn you on?"

Awkward silence…

Renton's smile twitched.

"W-what?" he asked awkwardly.

"Do a turn you on?" repeated Eureka.

"Where did you get that from?" asked Renton.

Eureka looked down.

"So I don't?" she asked solemnly.

"No," Renton said, "I mean yes! I mean…you do…but that's really not a question you ask a guy…"

Renton felt a little stupid and he put his hand over his face.

"Gidget told me that everything is about turn-ons," Eureka told him.

"Um…"

Renton didn't know what to say.

"Well, I think you look beautiful if that's what you want to know," Renton told her.

Eureka blushed.

"What does it really mean to become 'turned on'?" asked Eureka.

"Well," said Renton feeling extremely awkward, "it's when you get…it's when you feel…I don't think this is the proper time to talk about it," Renton said as he felt his blood boiling.

"I'll ask Holland," Eureka said.

"Holland? Wait! No! No! No! Don't ask him," Renton panicked.

"Why not?" Eureka asked curiously.

"He..might…um…get the wrong idea," answered Renton as he thought with horror about what Holland would do to him if Eureka asked.

They talked more about rides and finally got off to find something to eat.

Holland panted as he walked down the street with a hood over his head. He had managed to escape from Talho's wrath and long lecture about "setting an example" and "being a father". Of course Holland loved Talho and Charles, but he needed to concentrate on Renton and Eureka who could at any moment be in jeopardy. Talho said he was overly cautious, but Holland knew something would happen that day.

He wore a hood to hide his identity. The last thing he needed was someone exclaiming, "Look! It's Holland Novak!". He tried to find out where the others had gone. He decided to keep a close watch on Renton and Eureka and if it was necessary, stay undercover.

"Hey I saw Renton Thurston at Poki Poki Land," said a teenager to his friend.

"Seriously?" asked the friend.

Holland finally had a destination and he looked toward the towering theme park up ahead.

Holland made it to the gate and went up to the ticket booth.

"How many tickets?" asked the man at the booth.

Holland reached into his pocket.

"Shit!" he said. "I don't have any money…"

"I'm sorry, sir," said the man at the booth.

Holland sprinted past the booth, ran through the metal detector that immediately went off, hopped over the ticket inserter and dashed into the park and out of sight as the guards turned with bewilderment.

Holland quickly rushed through the park and managed to overhear a young man telling his friend that he saw Renton Thurston at the Ruffy Restaurant. Holland found Eureka and Renton sitting at one of the tables. He was about to walk up to them, but realized that if he did, Renton and Eureka wouldn't take it so casually. It would ruin their moment together and Renton wouldn't feel comfortable around Eureka, fearing that Holland would be snooping around somewhere. So Holland decided to stay undercover.

_But what if something happens?_ Holland asked himself. _I may have to jump in…but I should find a disguise…This hood will do no good._

Just then, a man in a teddy bear costume walked past, but then stopped and looked at Holland hiding behind a bush.

"Poki?" said the bear in a cute, but confused voice.

Renton and Eureka had found a nice place to eat. It was a cute little restaurant by a small garden. It was the first time Eureka had ever really eaten at a restaurant with Renton. It was something new and Eureka felt a little awkward. Eureka looked down at her food with a solemn face. She kept thinking about what was happening to her and if any of it would affect her day.

"Is…something wrong, Eureka?" asked Renton softly.

"No, not at all," Eureka said as she smiled.

_There, _she told herself, _another lie…How many times must this happen? Something is wrong…I don't know what, but something is terribly wrong…_

"Mr. and Mrs. Thurston, may I have a moment with you," said a man in a black suit and shades, followed by a man in the same apparel.

"Mr…and Mrs…" repeated Eureka.

"Sorry to interrupt your lunch," said the tall man, "I'm Agent Thomas and this is Agent Anderson. We work for the U.F. Investigation Department."

The man showed Renton a badge. Renton let out a deep breath, but paid close attention. Eureka felt a little afraid.

"We believe," Agent Thomas continued, "that there is someone after you. It is not safe here. There's been some strange behavior lately. An unknown man rushed into the park without a ticket. Then an employee was attacked just a minute ago."

"What?" asked Renton with worry.

"Have you been approached by or have noticed any strange individuals?" asked Agent Anderson.

Jacob Wakabayashi came into Eureka's mind.

"I…" she started, "Um…"

Holland peered through the bushes to see two mysterious men standing and talking to Renton and Eureka. They both looked nervous. The men were dressed in black suits and Holland could see that one had a gun holster in his coat.

_Could the possibly be threatening Renton and Eureka?_ Thought Holland.

"What is it?" asked Agent Thomas.

Eureka paused. She didn't know if she should tell the agent. She didn't know if it was safe.

"Eureka?" asked Renton.

"You should be the one that is especially careful," said Agent Thomas as he put his hand on Eureka's shoulder gently.

Holland saw the man grab Eureka's shoulder. He had to act.

_How dare you touch Eureka, bastard, _thought Holland.

The man patted Eureka's shoulder gently and Eureka nodded.

"Poki!!!" screeched a voice and a big teddy bear animal popped out of the bushes.

"What the?" exclaimed Agent Thomas as everyone stared at the big bear.

"Is that…Bomy-kun?" asked Renton.

"Careful," Agent Anderson told them.

"Poki! Poki! Po-ki" yelled Bomy-kun in a squeaky voice.

"Huh?" said Agent Thomas.

Agent Anderson slowly put his hand in his coat.

"If it makes any strange movements, run," he told Eureka and Renton.

"Poki!!!"

Bomy-kun started running straight at them.

"Back!" warned Agent Anderson as he pulled out a handgun.

Eureka tried to run, but fell over on her chair. Renton stepped backwards and tripped on a piece of garbage. Bomy-kun rolled on the ground then flipped back up and kicked a chair at Agent Anderson, causing him to fall into a bush. Agent Thomas pulled out a projectile electroshock weapon and aimed it at Bomy-kun. The teddy bear did a tornado kick and the weapon flew right out of the agents hands. Bomy-kun then hit three upper-cuts into Thomas's stomach and then did a side kick to Thomas's face which sent him flying into a bunch of flowers.

_That's strange,_ Eureka thought, _that technique is from the SOF handbook._

Bomy-kun walked up to Eureka and held out his hand as if to help her up. Eureka paused and stared at him.

"Poki poki," said Bomy-kun in a tone as if he were trying to say "I'll help you."

Eureka grabbed the nig stub paw and was pulled to her feet.

"Poki! Poki!" Bomy-kun told her.

"I don't understand…" Eureka said.

"Po-ki!"

"Hey! There he is!" yelled a voice.

Eureka and Renton looked to see a man wearing shorts and an undershirt followed by several security guards.

"That's the guy who stole my costume!" yelled the man as he pointed at Bomy-kun.

"Poki!"

Bomy-kun ran away as fast as his stubby legs could carry him. The man in underwear and the guards followed behind him

"Are you all right?" asked Agent Anderson coming out of the bushes.

"Yes," said Eureka. "I don't think he was trying to hurt me."

"Well, he sure got me," Anderson panted.

"Why does he only say 'Poki'?" asked Renton.

"There's a little voice changing device in the suit so that whatever you say will come out as 'Poki' in a cute Bomy voice."

"That's kinda stupid…" Renton said.

"I didn't design the suit," Agent Anderson said.

Steller stared at himself in the mirror. He looked different. He gazed upon a very pale and sad looking man. He hadn't seen himself without his mask in years. He wouldn't have recognized himself at all. His skin was pale, almost white and his face had a few scars on it, but nothing too major. His eyes were a faded grey color and seemed to be dead. He was surprised that he still had hair. His bangs were actually long enough to cover his eyes and it was pretty messy. His hair hung a ghostly white. All color seemed to have been derived from him.

Though, without his mask, the world seemed a little different. It seemed a little brighter and even more colorful. His skin felt cool in the air. It was something he hadn't felt in a long time.

"God…" he said softly.

He still had to wear the bottom part of his mask in order to breathe so his mouth was covered by a metal device. Steller realized that he had nothing at all to wear to the meeting, but his trench coat.

It was almost eight o'clock. He walked down the corridors to the researchers' quarters building. A few guards and workers passing noticed him, but did not recognize him. Steller just ignored them and walked made his way to room 2515. He knocked on the door and waited for a reply. He heard someone approach the door and knew that they were gazing at him through the security screen to see who he was. There was a pause and then Dr. Schneider opened the door.

"Why, hello, you're looking…different tonight, Rothstock," she said.

She had her hair combed the same, but she had two small sticks keeping the bun in her hair together. She didn't have her glasses on and makeup wasn't visible. She wore a pearl necklace and a sleek beige dress. If Steller ever thought about women again, he would've considered her attractive.

"It's Steller," Steller corrected.

"Then come in, _Steller,_" she said nicely and led him into the room.

He showed no reaction, but Steller almost couldn't believe what he saw before him. The room was large, larger than any other researchers' quarters. The walls, floor, and furniture were different shades of beige. The main room looked over twenty feet wide and had a television, large stereos, a chandelier, a few sofas, and much more décor and furnishings. There were several rooms connecting to the main room which was a circular shape. At the end of the room was a wall of large glass windows and two glass sliding doors. Besides Arner's, Dr. Schneider had the fanciest quarters Steller had ever seen.

"Just right here," Dr. Schneider said, leading Steller to a small balcony outside of the large glass windows. There was a round table set at which Robert Frost was sitting at. He was dressed in his usual black suit and he had a grin on his face as if expecting Steller, but his uncomfortable movements showed that he didn't really desire for Steller's presence.

"Have a seat," she told him and Steller sat down.

In front of him was what appeared to be a meal of beef, salad, rice, and wine. Steller hadn't seen such a well-prepared meal in ages. The table was set nicely and had to recall the last time he used a fork and knife-using a fork and knife for eating purposes.

"_Itadakimasu_," Dr. Schneider and Robert both said.

They ate a little and there was a pause.

"Do you prefer something different?" Dr. Schneider asked as she saw that Steller hadn't touched his food.

"I can't eat," Steller told her, gesturing to the device on his mouth.

"Oh, I had forgotten," she said. "Your body doesn't need nutrients because it is enhanced with the animatronics. You also lack you sense of taste."

"Even if I could eat," Steller said. "I would have no way of disposing of it."

"We're…eating here," Robert said abruptly.

"It's alright," Dr. Schneider said.

There was another silence. Steller didn't know what to say. He hadn't eaten like so in years, let alone even attending a social meeting. Steller found himself gazing at the flowers in the middle of the table. He recognized them. They were rainbow roses. Suddenly, Steller had a flashback.

"I got this for you," Roth said as he handed Eka the flower.

"Wow! Thank you, Roth. It's beautiful!" she said.

"I know that you love rainbow roses. They're quite rare," he told her.

"It's my favorite flower."

"Beautiful…just like you."

Eka leaned and kissed Roth. Then she smiled and wrapped her arms around him.

"I have barely given you anything, Roth, yet you give me so much."

"Eka, I would give you the world if I could. All I need from you is your love."

"All I need from _you_ is your love."

"But the little things on the side can help," Roth chuckled.

"Yes, they do," Eka giggled.

She twirled the rose in her hand.

"Do you know why the rainbow rose has all the colors of the rainbow?" she asked.

"Why?" asked Roth.

"The rainbow rose is an evolved version of the regular white rose," Eka told him. "The rose doesn't breathe in carbon dioxide, but trappar. The trappar gives the rose the seven colors of the rainbow instead of white.

"Wow, you are smart," Roth said jokingly. "I wonder how it got its name."

"Oh, Roth," Eka giggled, "what ever will I do without you?"

"Are you alright, Steller?" asked Dr. Schneider worriedly.

Steller came back to reality. He blinked and shook his head.

"It was just…just a memory," he said slowly.

"You know, Dr. Hyde can make it all go away," she told him.

"What do you mean?" asked Steller.

"Your haunting past…" she explained, "Being a Peacekeeper, I know it must be terrible…especially…Dr. Hyde can erase the memories of your past. He has done so to many soldiers, sometimes even if they don't want it erased. It can all go away."

"That will never happen," Steller said. "I would never give up my memory and become a mindless minion of this corporation. I joined it because of my past. My past is what drives me. I would've had my memory erased a long time ago, but Hyde knows that me past is what gives me strength…and the will to kill."

"The will to kill?" asked Robert. "You were a Peacekeeper. Did you not kill before?"

"Oh, I killed before alright," Steller said coldly. "I killed many men, but I always felt sorry for those souls. I always repented for my sins…Now it doesn't matter, but there is still one man I regret killing…He's the one that caused my life to become what it is."

"That's why we invited you here," Dr. Elsa said, "We want to help, Steller."

Steller paused.

"Please," he said, "call me Roth from now on."

"That was a fun day," Renton said as he laid on the bottom bunk next to Eureka who was sitting against the wall.

"Yes it was," Eureka said.

Eureka didn't bring up the Bomy-kun incident, but Renton didn't want it brought up. He already knew what it was all about. Holland had disguised as Bomy-kun to make sure they were alright. He thought the two government agents were enemies and attacked them. Holland had told Renton all of it and said that if he spoke a word to anyone about it, he'd never see the light of day.

"Something bothering you, Eureka?" Renton asked as he gazed at Eureka's solemn expression.

"No," she said with a grin, "I enjoyed that day even though we had a few problems."

"Yes, but let's not think about problems," Renton said.

"Beat you!" Maeter said as she rushed into the room just before Maurice.

"Hey, guys," Renton greeted. "Did you have fun today?"

"Yeah," they both agreed.

"Where's Linck?" asked Eureka.

"Oh, he went to go find something," Maurice told her. "He'll come soon."

"What was your favorite ride?" asked Renton.

"The rotating robot," Maurice said.

"No," disagreed Maeter, "it was the Spinny Cups!"

"You didn't go on the Rotating Robot because you were too short," Maurice argued.

"So, that was not fair!" Maeter said.

"Now, now, guys," Renton said, "let's calm down."

"I got it!" said Linck as he ran into the room carrying a big black case.

"What is that?" asked Renton.

"Something we took from Woz's room," Maeter said.

"You stole it?" asked Eureka.

"No, we borrowed it," Maurice said.

"Oh, alright," Eureka said, though Renton knew that she hadn't gotten the idea of 'borrowing without permission'.

"Let me see," said Renton and he took the case and pulled some of its contents out. The were a few miscellaneous documents and a magazine with a cute girl on the cover labeled "18+". Then Renton found it, a large, flat, square device.

"What is it?" asked Eureka.

"It's a…" Renton opened the shiny object to see a keyboard. "It's a laptop."

"Laptop?" asked Eureka.

"A portable computer," explained Renton.

He pressed the power button and the screen turned on. The children awed at the screen. It then went to a security window where the password had to be typed in.

"Dang," Renton said. "It's protected. Well, Woz is a computer guy."

"What's the password?" asked Maeter.

"I don't know," said Renton. "Let me think of something."

Renton typed in various passwords: Gekko, ray=out, ref, Nirvash, Eureka.

"I think I heard Jobs and Woz talking about it one time," Maurice said. "He said something about Moonlight."

Renton typed it in: Moonlight.

_Loading your settings_, read the screen.

"We're in," Renton said.

"Are you sure we should be doing this?" asked Eureka.

"It's okay," Renton said. "As long as we don't do anything bad."

A desktop pulled up with a background picture of a picture of Gekkostate before Renton had joined. There was a myriad of icons on the screen and Renton just double clicked the one that was labeled "Internet".

"It's been a while since I've used one of these," Renton said. "Let' see what Woz has been up to."

Renton checked the History and clicked a link to a forum.

"Ray=out Forums," read Renton. "They made a forum?"

"Let's make a new account," Renton said. "So we can read and post."

The forum had grey and lime green colors to match the Gekko-state color. It had several sections and forums. Renton went to the registration page and put in the name "Eureka" and the password "Adrock".

"Sorry, but that name is unavailable."

"What?" said Renton. "Someone took it?"

"Took what?" asked Eureka.

"The screen name 'Eureka'," answered Renton.

"What's a screen name?" asked Eureka.

"It's what people call you online," explained Renton.

"You are communicating with people?" asked Eureka.

"Yes, on a forum," explained Renton.

"Try another name," said Maurice.

Renton put in "Eureka and Renton".

"Sorry, but that name is unavailable."

"Oh come one!" said Renton angrily.

He then put it "Eureka's Renton".

"Sorry, invalid symbol."

Then he put in "EurekasRenton."

"Thank you for registering. Enjoy the forums!"

"Finally," Renton said.

He went to the general discussion part of the forum and clicked on a topic named "Eureka".

Renton read a few of the last posts.

"Eureka does look kinda weird," posted a person named Kvil0.

"She has greenish hair and pink eyes, but she's hella cute!" posted a person named Barron.

"Dude, she's like Eureka Thurston now," said someone called Darkmind89

"Eureka is a human-form Coralian so she doesn't look totally human," posted someone named Alex.

"Renton pondered about what he should post, but then realized he had to use the restroom.

"Wait," he said, "I have to use the bathroom."

Renton then ran out the door. He came back to find Eureka sitting at the laptop reading. Evidently she had learned how to use the touchpad.

"Renton," she asked, "why do people call me 'Dude'?"

"Um…It's just a term," Renton told her.

"What does 'sexy' mean?" she asked.

"W-what?" asked Renton.

"What does 'lol' mean?" she asked again.

"It is what someone says when they laugh," Renton explained.

"So they are laughing?" asked Eureka.

"Well, they probably aren't really laughing, but they say they are."

"So they lie?"

"Well, kind of, but people always say that."

"So they always lie?"

"Let's say that they're laughing in their head."

"But their mouth is connected to their head."

"I mean their mind."

"Oh…"

Renton felt awkward teaching Eureka the ways of the Net.

"What is this 'wtf'?" asked Eureka.

"Uh…." Renton said as he paused. "I don't know."

Renton did know, but he had no intention of saying it.

"I'll ask Holland," she said.

"No, no, no!" Renton said. "I now what it means!"

"What then?" asked Eureka.

"It's what someone says when they are…bewildered."

"Oh," Eureka said.

"I have a ref board that's a replica of Hollands!" said someone named Zex Marquise.

"Wtf!" posted Eureka.

"Huh?" asked Zex Marquise.

"Wtf!" posted Eureka again.

"I got it! Seriously!" Zex Marrquise posted.

"Wtf!" posted Eureka.

"Shut the hell up, noob!" Zex Marquise posted.

"Alright, Eureka, I think that's enough!" Renton said before anything else was posted.

They messed around more on Woz's computer until it got late. Renton noticed that Eureka looked a little worried. He laid next to Eureka and comforted her.

"What's wrong?" he asked gently.

"I don't know anymore," Eureka said.

"Everything is alright," he said.

"It will be alright," Eureka said softly, "as long as I'm here in your arms."

Chapter 23: Faint

There was a burst of fire and Eureka fell to the ground. Renton simply stood there and watched as she lied there with her lifeless eyes wide open and her blood slowly spread around her body. Renton felt cold and sick. He couldn't move a muscle. Then there was this horrible ringing sound. It was the sound made by the hospital machine when a person's heart stopped beating.

_Dead…_Renton thought,_ Dead? She can't be dead…It's just not possible…It just couldn't happen…Eureka…What's happening?_

He felt as if he had been stabbed through the heart. He couldn't keep his eyes off her body. The world seemed to blur. Then, he had a sudden burst of strength and he ran out the door to her body.

"Eureka!"

Renton opened his eyes and realized he was holding Eureka in his arms. He stared into her eyes and she blinked with a worried face.

"Renton, what's wrong?" she asked.

Renton paused.

_Another dream?_ Renton thought,_ Just a dream? Goddamn these nightmares! Do they mean anything? Is it the future? What is it?_

"I'm okay…" Renton said to her calmly.

"Renton…" she said.

"Yes?"

"Nevermind…"

"Please tell me, Eureka."

"It's just that something's been troubling me lately."

"What?"

"I know that something is wrong with me, but I don't know what…I sometimes I have these moments when I don't feel like myself…I just want it to go away…and every time…I feel that I'm drifting away from myself…and from you."

Renton brushed her hair.

"Don't say that Eureka," he comforted.

"I'll always be here."

That morning Renton felt like doing something fun again. He still wanted to keep a smile on Eureka's face and keep her happy. They ate breakfast together and talked about what they could do that day when Hap came into the room.

"Hey, everyone," he said to everyone who was in the lounge room. "There's a little problem with the engines right now, but it's nothing major. Jobs said that he'll see what's up, but we'll have to land somewhere to be safe."

"Where are we landing?" Matthieu asked who was sitting on the sofa.

"In a little town called Traverse," Hap answered.

"Maybe there's something we can do there," Renton told Eureka.

"Maybe…" she said.

"You have one new message," said the voice in the phone.

"Hey, Holland, it's Stoner. Yes, I'm doing fine. Everything's great right now. Let's say I'm on a little vacation. As for this whole situation, I really would like to see into it, but you know me, I'm a pacifist so I don't want to get really involved with whole mess. So I hope-Not right now, Eva…Oh sorry, I keep forgetting…So um now I have to get going so I'll talk to you soon."

Holland closed the phone and looked out the window as he sat in the bridge. He was glad that Stoner was doing fine and it sounded like his was with someone, a female. Still, a few strange thoughts lingered in the back of his head like a shady mist.

"You okay Holland?" asked Moondoggie.

"Yeah," Holland answered.

"Preparing for landing," Moondoggie said.

BAM! The skyfish exploded.

"That gives me fifteen!" announced Seizo.

"These things must be rigged!" Dominic joked.

They were training with their MC-505s at the HQ. Most of the base had been repaired and Dominic felt a little paranoid thinking about another attack. They were using animatronic skyfish as moving targets. Seizo had started a little contest as to see who could take down the most skyfish. So far, Dominic only had thirteen. Naomi was almost not in the competition with only eight.

"Hey," said Seizo as he chased another Skyfish. "What do you know about this new general guy?"

Dominic had been to a meeting where information was explained to the captains.

"I can't remember his name," Dominic said. "It started with a U. Something uncommon. The Federation has some new information on the headquarters of this organization they believe is behind all this. They weren't too specific about the organization though.

"Everything is getting a little fishy," Seizo said.

"Let's hope for the best," Naomi told them.

Dominic couldn't help, but feel that something big was still yet to come.

"I hope you're doing alright, Renton," he said quietly.

Eureka walked peacefully next to Renton through Traverse Town. It was a cozy little town with many smiling people. The sky was its usual bright blue and the sun shined brightly down upon them. There was cheerfulness in the air that flowed through the town as if carried by the trappar. Eureka was dressed in her new outfit and carried a smile on her face as did Renton.

"It's a great day," Renton said.

Eureka stretched her hand in the air and waited for a moment. Then she felt it.

"It's a great day for reffing," she said.

"Aw, I should've brought the boards," Renton said.

For some reason, Eureka felt a little weak.

"Yes, but I'm a little tired," she said.

They sat down on a bench and looked around at the shops.

"What to go look around?" Renton asked.

"Sure."

They began to look at the shops when Renton noticed a poster.

"REFFING CONTEST TODAY! COME DOWN TO THE REF SITE WITH YOUR BOARD!" read the poster.

"Wow, there's a reffing contest!" Renton said. "I think this is a great opportunity to brush up on our skills."

"I'm still a little tired," Eureka said.

"Then wait here," Renton told her. "I'll go some ref boards from the Gekko. You can watch me, but I'll bring you a board just in case. I'll be quick!"

"Alright," Eureka agreed. "You better hurry. I think I see some clouds in the distance."

Renton sped off to the Gekko-Go leaving Eureka standing on the sidewalk. Eureka walked along for a while until she found a ref shop. Just before she walked inside, her weakness spread. It began to run through her as if carried in her blood. Heavy weights brought her to her knees and she coughed.

"Hey, are you alright?" asked a woman nearby.

Eureka's eyes began to blur then she bolt upright. All went blank.

Steller opened his eyes and realized that he had fallen asleep in his quarters. Fallen asleep, something he hadn't done in a long time. He clearly remembered the night before. It was a peaceful night where Steller had discussed many topics with Dr. Schneider and Robert Frost. They had shared past memories and dilemmas. They had discussed projects and special moments. Steller didn't listen to all of it and he wasn't the most talkative, but socializing with someone made him feel different. It made him feel as though he had people on his side. Something like a friend. He remembered the night clearly:

"You have quite a haunting past," Elsa said after Steller had shared most of his life story.

"Life can be horrible," Robert said softly.

"Yes, but you must look beyond that," Elsa said. "If the past keeps pulling you down, you'll never see the good in the future. Do not forget the past, but don not let it consume you."

Steller just looked at the tablecloth.

"Eka may be gone," Robert said, "but don't think of her death, think of her life."

"She must have been a wonderful woman," Elsa told Steller. "Maybe no one can replace her, but I'm sure revenge is not the future she intended for you."

Steller raised his head.

"Then what did she intend?" he asked quietly.

"To be happy," Elsa said as she put her hand on Steller's. "She most likely wanted you to be happy and continue on with life. Lock away the bad times, but remember the good."

"Revenge will only consume you," Robert said. "Revenge will eat away at you until you die and even after, you won't be satisfied."

Steller couldn't help, but realize that they were right. He knew that if Eka were there, she'd agree. Steller finally felt a bit of weight lifted.

"Do you feel better?" asked Elsa after they talked all night.

"Yes," Steller said.

"See if you can get some rest and maybe you'll feel even better in the morning," Elsa advised.

Steller rose from his bed and felt a feeling he hadn't felt in ages; He felt good about himself. All dark feelings seemed to have drifted to the back of his mind and he thought more about happy moments and good times. He remembered a bit of Eka, but not in a sad way, but in a joyful way. He did miss her, but revenge seemed to have disappeared.

Steller walked out the door and into the corridors. He felt very different. He didn't exactly know what to that day. He hadn't had a single mission in days and he rarely ever did anything, but sit alone and think. This day was different. He felt as though he _had _to do something, something to entertain himself. He wanted to keep the good feeling.

"Well, if it isn't Bennington Park," he said as he approached Ben and Hiro.

Ben jumped at the sound of his name and turned around to look at Steller.

"Who the hell are you?" asked Ben.

Steller realized that he wasn't wearing his helmet.

"I'm the man who could kill you in three seconds if you call me 'buddy'," Steller replied in a serious voice.

Ben paused, dumbfound.

"St-Steller?" he asked?

"Captain Steller," Steller corrected.

"Good day, captain Steller!" greeted Hiro, giving a salute.

"You…look different," Ben said awkwardly.

"I believe we should train on our LFO skills today," Steller suggested.

"Yes, sir," said Hiro.

"Meet me on the training grounds at three o'clock sharp," Steller ordered.

"Yes, sir!" Hiro said as Ben gave him an awkward look.

As Steller walked away, he heard Ben and Hiro talking.

"What's gotten into him?" asked Ben.

"I don't know," replied Hiro.

"Is that really him?"

"I'm pretty sure, but maybe Arner did something to him."

Steller just walked on without a word.

"Good morning, Roth," said Dr. Schneider as she walked out from a doorway.

Steller had chosen to allow Elsa to call him by his first name.

"Good morning, Elsa," Steller greeted.

"How are you feeling today?" she asked.

"Different," Steller said slowly.

"I knew our little talk would help you," she said. "Well, I have to go right now, but I'll see you some time soon."

"Goodbye," Steller said as he walked away.

_What is this feeling?_ Steller thought.

Renton found himself standing in the middle of the Gekko-Go hanger. It was dark and in the middle of the room stood Eureka with her back to him.

"Eureka?" he called out.

She didn't respond so he ran up to her.

"Renton…" she said as she slowly turned and faced him. "I…I…"

"What is it Eureka?" Renton asked.

Her eyes were pale and watery. She looked very sad.

"There's something wrong with me…" she said slowly. "I don't want to hurt

you."

"What are you talking about Eureka?" asked Renton worriedly.

"I'm moving farther…and farther away from you…"

Renton didn't know what to say.

"C'mon, Renton!" said Matthieu's voice.

Renton shot his eyes open to find that he was lying on the ground in the lounge. Matthieu and Gidget were standing over him and Matthieu patted him on the side of the head.

"You awake?" he asked.

_Another dream,_ Renton said to himself.

"What happened?" he asked.

"Well," said Gidget, "you ran in here looking for the ref boards and you tripped over a box I had put down and banged your head on the table. You went out cold."

"Where is Mischa?" asked Matthieu.

"I called for her, but couldn't find her," said Gidget. "I think she's busy."

"Eureka! How long have I been out?" asked Renton as he sat up.

"Maybe ten minutes," Matthieu said.

"Oh, no, I have to get to Eureka!" Renton said.

"Hold on, you should see Mischa!" Gidget advised him.

"I will, wait!" Renton said as he jumped up.

"Here," said Matthieu handing him a ref board.

Renton took the board and ran out the door to exit the Gekko-Go. He ran out of the Gekko, but then bumped into Holland and fell over. Holland had been sitting on the hillside cleaning his ref board.

"What's your hurry?" asked Holland.

"I have to get to Eureka!" Renton told him.

"You left her alone?" Holland asked abruptly.

"Um…yes, she's in town," Renton answered.

"Idiot! Do you not know that she could be in danger?"

"I know! I know!"

Renton quickly got onto his board and zoomed to the town with Holland by his side. In his panic, Renton almost fell off his board.

_Crap! I hope nothing has gone wrong!_ Renton thought. _Did anything bad happen?_

When they got to town, his question was answered. There was silence in the air. Some dark clouds covered the sky and the town wasn't the same. Renton dropped the board to the ground and couldn't close his eyes at the grotesque scene before him. There was the smell of blood in the air.

"What…" Holland said quietly.

Blood and bodies were visible everywhere on the streets. A fountain laid smashed and the water was red with a floating body in it. The surrounding buildings had smashed windows and doors, holes pounded through the walls, and some had small flames inside or where completely knocked over.

"What in the world…" Holland uttered.

Renton was frozen for a few seconds. The image seemed to burn into his mind. It was just too horrible. It seemed as though nothing was left untouched by destruction. Something abnormal had come and massacred everyone. Renton felt a cold shiver run down his back as if bugs were crawling around him. In panic, he began to run from building to building.

"Eureka!" he called. "Eureka! Eureka!"

_She can't be dead, _Renton thought, _She's got to be here._

Then he came across a small café with a smashed glass display window. Renton couldn't tell how many bodies where inside because they were ripped apart with body parts and blood everywhere. In a corner was a crouching figure. By the color of her hair, Renton knew it was Eureka. He rushed in to get to her, stepping over a headless body with glass pieces stabbed inside of it.

"Eureka…" he said slowly.

At first, he had been horrorstruck when he saw her covered in blood, but realized she was alive when he saw her shiver several times. She was huddled with her arms over her legs, facing the wall. Her eyes were wide open and she was whispering to herself.

"It's not real…" she said quietly. "It's not real. It's just a bad dream. It's not real. It can't be real. Can it?"

"Eureka…" Renton called softly.

"Please…" she said as Renton wrapped his arms around her. "Please, Renton…make it go away…"

Chapter 24: Simple and Clean

"Forty-three people dead," said the government agent to Holland. "No survivors…except Eureka."

Holland kept silent and sat where he was on the hillside overlooking the town. The sky was a dark orange and the sun was red, red with the blood of over forty lost lives. Holland could hardly believe it all. Everything had happened so fast. Such a fine day had turned into a nightmare. Holland felt that he was somehow sinking…sinking it something he didn't understand; sinking deeper and deeper.

"Are you alright?" the agent asked.

"How bad is it?" Holland said slowly, staring off into the distance.

"Luckily," said the agent, "it was only occurred in one part of town. There was a reffing contest taking place far from this side of town so much of the younger citizens were there. No one under eighteen was killed. It's getting dark, but the contest is continuing so we hope not to ruin the citizens' temporary joy. We've blocked entry into this part of town and any citizens trying to enter will be told that there has been a problem and will have to leave. We don't want any panic just yet."

"What exactly happened?" Holland asked.

"Our conclusion is still pending," said the agent. "No trace of any type of gunfire or explosives used. The people killed were mutilated as if massacred by bare hand. Though, we have no idea what kind of force could do such a thing. There were no witnesses."

"What about Eureka?"

"Oddly, Eureka was the only one left alive…untouched. We questioned her be she remembered nothing. She was covered with the blood of the townspeople. We took her clothing and are testing it to see whose blood is on the fabric."

"Why do you need to do that?"

"Because, Mr. Novak, if she was covered with the blood of every single townsperson killed…then…"

The agent gave Holland an odd look. It was a look saying "You know what I'm thinking".

"No," Holland said as he stood up, "Eureka wouldn't ever-"

"Of course not!" interrupted the agent. "Who in there right mind would blame Eureka for such a thing?"

Holland looked to the side.

"But," said the agent, "I believe that Eureka isn't exactly…well. If she did do anything it might have been-"

"There is nothing wrong with Eureka," Holland said slowly.

"We don't know for sure," the agent said. If there is, we may have to…quarantine her, but don't worry she-"

"I will have our doctor run a few tests," Holland said, "but you are not taking her away!"

"Don't be irrational, Mr. Novak, if something is wrong with her you can't just-"

"Eureka won't leave us…she can't leave us. We are the only ones who can help her."

The agent sighed.

"I assume that I can't keep you here," he said. "I'm quite sure everyone wants to leave as soon as possible, especially Eureka, but if anything does go wrong…call us and we may have someone who can help."

Holland started to head toward the ship.

"But what do we tell them?" asked the agent. "What do we tell the town? What do we tell the relatives of those who died?"

"You're the Federation," Holland said matter-of-factly. "Come up with a good cover-up!"

"Now, wait just a minute, Mr. Novak!"

Holland walked away without another word. He felt confused, shocked, afraid, but he also felt anger arising.

"It's all over," Renton said as he held Eureka in his arms.

They were sitting in their room with the lights off, but light flowed in through the open door. The children had been in there earlier, weeping, but Gidget had sent them away. Eureka was dressed in her normal outfit again because her other clothes had to be tested for something. Renton didn't understand any of it.

"It's so…horrible," Eureka sobbed as she gripped Renton more tightly.

Her eyes were closed and she dug her head into Renton's shoulder. She cried more and her tears dripped onto Renton's sleeve.

"Everything is going to be alright," Renton comforted.

Renton thought about all the dead people, but only for a moment. He could keep his mind off of Eureka.

_What happened? _Renton thought, _Why does something always happen? What is all behind this? What's wrong? Eureka…those people…Who killed them? No! How could Eureka…it's impossible…Who…or what? What is going on here? Does this have anything to do with the Coral? Does this have to do with Coralians?_

He was overwhelmed.

"I'll be here to keep you safe," Renton said.

Eureka mumbled something, but Renton didn't ask her to repeat.

"Don't worry," Renton said. "Everything will be alright."

"What's happening?" asked Maeter as she whipped her face.

"Your mama's just a little scared right now," Hilda said.

"What happened?" asked Linck.

"A few people got hurt. That's all," Hilda said calmly.

Maurice could tell she was lying. He knew it had to be more than that. Someone died. Someone had to have died or there wouldn't have been such a reaction. Plus, Maurice had overheard Hilda talking to a police officer.

"Murder seems to be spreading lately," the officer had said.

"Why is it always at the wrong time?" Hilda had asked.

Maurice felt confused. He knew that it was all grown-up stuff, but he wanted to know. He knew that all the adults kept most information from them, but he didn't want to just stand there and pretend that nothing was wrong. Mama wasn't okay.

"What's gotten into you?" asked Ben as flew in their Fantoms in the testing grounds.

"Maybe you should keep your mouth shut," Roth said.

"Something's coming down," Ben said.

They flew in different formations around the grounds.

"It's nothing. I've just decided to look at things a little differently."

"Well," Ben said, "it's really weird…Don't tell me that you and Elsa-"

"I'd really enjoy it if you kept quiet," Roth said.

"Aw, c'mon," Ben said. "You guys are getting _friendly_."

"I order you to be silent," Roth said, "and that is not true."

Ben flipped in his Fantom and flew right next to Roth.

"Who made you captain?" he asked.

"Arner," Roth answered.

"Hawk never mentioned that…" Ben said.

Roth elbowed Ben's LFO.

"Hey!" cried Ben.

"Will you shut up already?" Roth said.

They made a few more runs with Ben being somewhat silent then they finally landed and Roth departed. He entered one of the main corridors and saw Elsa running briskly with a suitcase in her hand.

"Hello, Elsa," he said.

"Oh, hello, Roth," she said. "I can't talk right now. I'm busy! Bye!"

Then she walked briskly away.

"Attention!" announced the dull voice of the intercom. "A few of our security systems are down. Any abnormal behavior should be reported immediately."

Roth thought for a moment and had a hunch that something was wrong.

"Over forty people were killed and none were left alive at the scene," said Hyde as he showed Arner a video of the grotesque scene on a monitor in Arner's office.

"I see…" said Arner.

The video then stopped.

"This is all that our spy could capture," Hyde said. "The authorities are still trying to find a conclusion and solve the matter. They have told the public that a terrorist group may have been involved, but they are trying to keep the people calm."

"Where is Eureka?" asked Arner.

"It's with Gekkostate," Hyde answered.

Arner paused for a moment and looked at the blank screen. He had to make quick decisions. Things could change drastically. He also still had questions.

"Tell, me," he said as he turned to Hyde, "what exactly is the function and effect of Formula Eight?"

"It's all part of the operation, Sir," Hyde said. "If we were to hook the Key to the VENOM, it would die immediately. It is not strong and the VENOM's power would kill it. So, we needed something to enhance its strength. Formula Eight is…what you might say, a reverse version of Formula Seven. The formula boosts the Key's adrenaline to allow more strength and power. It mainly affects the parts of the mind that create rage, violence, and bloodlust. Though, the effect seems quite unstable and only activates at certain moments, but when the Key is within the VENOM all should function properly. The Key doesn't fully comprehend its own power. Though, when the formula is not in affect, the Key may feel weaker than before and much of her Coralian power may seem lost. That is why its wings have vanished."

Arner scratched his head.

"If Eureka is unstable," he said, "how do you hope to control the VENOM?"

"It isn't quite difficult," Hyde answered. "The Key isn't exactly the complete controller of the VENOM. Its rage fuel's the VENOM's rage and fighting power and the Key serves as the powerhouse, but we don't want everything to become too unstable. The VENOM does have a mind of its own and it will not do anything against us."

Hyde reached into his coat and pulled out a small object. Arner leaned closer in his chair as he stared at its magnificence. It was a miniature glass three-sided pyramid. On its sides were gridlines and is glowed a bright red. Staring hard enough into it revealed a small crystal at its core.

"Interesting…" Arner said. "What is it?"

"It is called the Revelation Drive," Hyde answered. "It's similar to Thurston's Amita Drive and functions in almost the same way. It will allow the Key's power into the VENOM and will unleash the LFO's true strength."

"This better work, Dr. Hyde," said Arner. "Failure is not an option…"

_What's happening? _Eureka thought, _How is this happening? Can it be real? Is it actually real? Why must everything be so confusing…and so difficult?_

"It'll be alright," Renton said.

"Th-that's what you always say…" Eureka said. "Yet, something always happens…"

"Nothing will happen if I'm here to protect you," Renton said. "I would die for you."

"Then why," Eureka began slowly, "then why do you leave me?"

Renton paused.

"I was stupid," Renton admitted as he held her, "I'm an idiot. I don't know why, but…but I keep telling myself that everything would be safe. I keep pretending that the past isn't real…at least the bad parts."

"Why is this happening Renton?" she asked as she looked at the palm of her hand as if it were infected.

"Again, I don't know," Renton told her, "please don't argue with me this time, Eureka. This time I won't be an idiot. Everything _will _be alright."

"I hope so."

A figure blocked the light from the door and Eureka and Renton looked up alerted to find that it was only Mischa.

"We need to run some tests Eureka," Mischa said.

Eureka stood up and walked up to Mischa.

"Everything good, Renton?" asked Mischa.

There wasn't an immediate response so Eureka turned to see Renton still sitting down and staring at the floor with wide eyes. His mouth twitched a little and he stood up.

"I…I think I'll have to use the bathroom," Renton said as he rushed away.

"Is Renton alright?" Eureka asked worriedly.

"The horror of the recent event must have finally kicked in," Mischa said. "Don't worry about him."

Eureka had remembered throwing up twice after everything had been over. Maybe Renton was going to do the same.

_All those people, _Eureka thought as she sat in the medical room, _How did they die? I don't rembmer…Was it me? Could I have killed them? How could I? Is it possible? What's wrong with me? _

"Is there something wrong with me?" Eureka asked Mischa slowly.

"I hope not," Mischa sighed as she rummaged through a few cabinets. "Maybe these tests can tell."

Eureka sat there not knowing what else to say, what else to think. It was like an unsolvable puzzle.

Renton walked out of the bathroom. He had just thrown up in the bathroom sink after having visions of the dead bodies and blood. He knew the tests on Eureka would take long and as much as he would like to, she shouldn't be disturbed so he made his way to the bridge.

_So much trauma,_ he thought, _Maybe I can't take it…_

The gruesome scene was something he had hoped never to see yet there it was. He hadn't seen so much blood in a long time.

"Why doesn't any of this make any sense?" he asked himself. "Why…Gonzy?"

Renton sighed at the thought of what the old Coralian would answer: "Patience, Renton, everything will come together in the end and yet, there are things that you many never know or comprehend."

He entered the bridge to find everyone with tense or solemn faces. Talho and Holland were standing up and in some sort of quarrel.

"Don't blame me!" Holland argued.

"Why aren't you any more responsible, Holland?" complained Talho.

"Responsible? They're gown up! They can handle themselves!" Holland protested.

"You're the one who's always worried about her, Holland!"

"What? You're the one who told me not to worry and I was going down to check on her anyways!"

_Really not a good time,_ Renton thought.

Holland then turned his head and saw Renton standing there.

"You!" he said as he stomped over to Renton.

Holland stepped back once, expecting something to come at him and just as he thought, he received a hit on the side of the head. Renton fell to the floor and then tried to pull himself back up.

"Holland!" Talho said.

"Idiot!" Holland yelled at Renton. "Why do you always leave her? Why? Can't you see she is constantly in jeopardy?"

"Holland!" Talho said again. "It's not his fault. He didn't know! No one knew!"

"And yet, you blame me," Holland growled.

"You are the captain," Talho told him.

"But Renton is most responsible for Eureka!" Holland protested angrily.

"We all are!" Talho argued.

Everyone in the bridge pretended to ignore the argument, but they flinched or made some sort of uncomfortable movement when someone screamed.

"Shut up!" Renton roared at the top of his lungs. "Just shut up!"

Everyone looked at him including Talho and Holland who had angry faces on.

"Please…" Renton said more quietly. "Yes, I am responsible for Eureka. Something is definitely wrong here so we should all be careful…Let's all just try to get along as we always have and find a solution…We need to…Eureka's sake…and our's…"

With that, Renton left the room leaving everyone as silent as the dead night.

Renton reached the medical room to see Mischa cleaning up.

"We're done," she said with a small grin on her face. "It appears that you are healthy and have absolutely no problems as far as medical issues go. So don't worry about it and try to spend the rest of the night not so gloomy."

"Nothing?" Eureka asked. "Are you sure?"

"I told you not to worry about it," Mischa said with a grin. "Now where is Renton?"

"I'm right here," Renton said as he stepped into the room.

Eureka ran to him and hugged him.

"You alright?" Renton asked.

"I think so…" Eureka answered as she buried her head in his chest.

"So nothing is wrong?" Renton asked.

"Nothing that I can find," Mischa said.

"Alright," Renton sighed.

_Nothing is wrong,_ he thought, _Nothing…So what is happening? You have to deal with this, Renton, but you have to deal more with Eureka. _

"Don't worry," Renton said as Eureka's eyes grew watery, "I'm here."

"Something wrong?" Roth asked as he entered a lab room with several computers.

"Huh?" said Elsa as she rummaged through her briefcase. "Now's not a good time, Roth. How did you get in here?"

"You left the door open," Roth answered.

The door was a security door that automatically closes, but Roth had been in a hurry to see to the problem that he had used his arm to block the door while it was closing and enter the room.

"Oh, well there's just a little bit of a problem," she answered.

"It was announced to note suspicious behavior," Roth said.

Elsa sighed and stopped digging through her case.

"A computer system was detected to be hacked," she told him. "We believe it might just be an error, but security isn't taking any chances. They believe there could be a traitor."

"A traitor?" Roth said.

"There's no evidence as to who hacked it," Elsa said, "and we have no suspects, but it was some of my research that was hacked so I am the one who has to deal with it."

"I can help if it's possible," Roth said as he cracked his metal knuckles.

"Thanks, but I don't need any help right now," Elsa said.

"I'll be there if there is a traitor," Roth said. "I look forward to it."

"Nothing?" Holland asked as he stood against the wall in the medical room.

"I checked everything," Mischa said. "Blood tests, x-rays, I tested all parts of her body. I've done everything I can, but the only problem is that she feels a little weak. Other than that, she's very healthy."

"So what do you believe?" Holland asked.

"I cannot detect anything…" Mischa said slowly, "but I can't help, but feel that something is terribly wrong…maybe not with Eureka."

Holland sighed.

"We'll just be careful," Holland breathed.

"If something else may happen, what will we do?" asked Mischa.

"Leave that to me," Holland said though he was still troubled about his decision.

_What is going on?_ Eureka thought as she lay down in bed, her body unwilling to sleep, _Mischa said there was nothing wrong, but I know something is happening to me, but what? How did all those people die? Why did they die? Am I going to live through this? Will Gekkostate live through this? What will happen next?_

A lot was going through Eureka's mind and she felt a little helpless. She knew that Renton wasn't really sleeping, but she couldn't find the strength to talk to him. After what seemed like hours, she fell asleep.

Eureka opened her eyes to find she was standing in a dark space. It didn't feel confined, but like a wide open dimension of darkness. Then, she saw Renton standing far away from her. She began to run toward him. She began to run faster and faster.

"Renton!" she called as she approached him.

Suddenly, as she reached a point about five feet away from him, she hit something hard and there was a burst of some sort of red electricity. She fell to the ground then pulled herself up. Carefully, she pressed her hand on the invisible wall before her and noticed the red electricity flowed from the spot that her hand touched. Then she looked at Renton's face. He looked depressed as if someone had died.

"Eureka," he said slowly, "it's coming between us…"

"Why?" Eureka asked as tears dripped from her eyes.

Renton raised his head, but didn't seem to be looking into her eyes.

"I'm not sure how long I can last with you," he said solemnly. "We are being separated."

Suddenly, a colossal door hidden in the darkness open up behind Renton, revealing a blinding heavenly light that caused Eureka to shield her eyes. Renton just stood with the light behind him making him appear as a dark figure. He then began to turn and walked toward the white light.

"Renton, wait!" Eureka screamed as she pounded against the wall.

Renton didn't seem to be listening and slowly advanced toward the open door. Eureka pounded harder and harder with tears flowing from her eyes. Then, with one very desperate pound, there was a rumbling boom and a shockwave of red electricity flowed down the wall. Eureka touched the wall, but found that it was still in her way. She then looked up to realize that the boom had come from a gigantic fist more than twenty feet above her. The fist had huge pincers around its wrist and looked robotic as if part of an LFO. She looked back, but couldn't make out the fist's body in the darkness. The red electricity flowed from the fist and down the wall. It then it surged into Eureka's arm and into her body. She felt immediate pain and it felt as if she was on fire. The electric shock surged to her head and she saw images of blood and bright explosions. She also saw the image of a small triangular object it had lines running across it and a bright red glow. Inside it she saw what looked like some sort of small crystal. The crystal seemed to draw her closer as if calling her name.

"Eureka…" said a dark voice. "Eureka…Eureka…"

The voice repeated her name several times and each time it grew more familiar. Eureka fell to the dark floor and looked at the door of light as it slowly closed. Just as it closed, she saw it. Maybe very faint, but she thought she saw the image of the Nirvash in its true form. The door shut close and Eureka felt weak and helpless on the cold ground.

"Eureka!"

Eureka opened her eyes. She was lying in bed with the covers thrown off. Renton was sitting next to her.

"Eureka, are you alright?" he asked worriedly.

Eureka realized that she had been dreaming. She also felt the tears in her eyes.

"Renton…" she said quietly.

"Eureka," Renton said. "You…You were struggling in your sleep. You woke everyone up. Is everything alright?"

Renton had a very worried face, much different than the one he wore in the dream.

"I…I'm alright," Eureka said, wiping her tears away.

The children were out of bed and looking up at her with worried faces.

"I…I'm going to walk a bit," Eureka said as she hopped out of bed.

"I'll go with you," Renton said as he also hopped out of bed. "Go back to bed, Maurice, Maeter, and Linck."

The children protested, but Renton finally got them to settle down and get back into bed. Then he stepped into the hall with Eureka and closed the door.

Renton had a bad feeling as he walked with Eureka. It felt as though something was churning in his gut and a something else was spinning in his head. Eureka bent a little and looked down as if she was feeling ill.

"Need to use the restroom?" Renton asked.

"I'm fine," Eureka said.

"No you're not fine," Renton said as he put his hand on her shoulder. "Eureka, I know something's wrong."

"Renton, please stop worrying about me," she said.

"Eureka, I have to worry. I love you. I'm responsible for your safety!"

Renton was trying his best to avoid another argument.

"I can take care of myself!" Eureka protested.

"Eureka, I know something is wrong."

"There's nothing wrong with me!"

Eureka's eyes grew watery again and she looked at the wall.

"I promised to protect you!" Renton said.

"And everything still goes wrong," Eureka said slowly.

"I will be with you from now on, Eureka. I love you."

"Then why do you leave?"

Eureka began to cry again. Renton thought loved her and knew her, but she still seemed confusing at times.

"I'm here," Renton comforted.

"But I feel…alone…" Eureka admitted solemnly. "I feel like I'm being pulled away from you…In the dark."

"Don't say that Eureka. I will be by your side."

"But maybe…maybe it is best if I leave you alone. If you leave me alone…"

"No! Stop saying such things! Eureka…"

Renton leaned to kiss her, but she turned her head.

"Eureka…"

"I…I don't want anyone to get hurt, Renton."

"I will protect you."

"But can you protect yourself."

Renton hesitated.

"I would die for you," he told her.

"But you could die because of me…"

"Eureka, why are you acting this way?"

"Just go to bed, Renton."

"I'm not going without you."

"Just go!"

Renton grabbed Eureka's hand.

"Why are you mad at me, Eureka?"

He looked into her eyes and saw how sad she was. Her eyes cheeks were glazed with water and she had a beautiful, but very depressed look, as if she was about to die.

"I want to be alone," she said.

"I cannot leave you," Renton said angrily.

"I'm confused, Renton! I'm…confused. Just give me some time to think."

"I'll think with-"

"No! Just…just leave me alone."

Renton clenched his hand into a fist, but relaxed it after a deep breath.

"I'm going to bed," he said as he stopped off to the room.

He paused at the door to turn and say something, but sighed and got into bed.

_Why? _Renton thought as he lay there with his hands behind his head, _Why is she acting so strange? Why does she want to be alone? It's like she is expecting something bad to happen and she doesn't want anything to happen to me. Or maybe she's just grouchy because I woke her up in her sleep. It should be over in the morning._

Renton was deeply troubled, but decided to wait until morning.

"Eureka…" Renton said slowly as he stood in the same darkness as before.

They were around twenty feet apart this time and standing on a floor of water.

"Renton…" Eureka said as she stared at his sad face.

Eureka wanted to go over to him and embrace him, but she was afraid of the wall.

"What do you see?" Renton asked. "What do you see in the water?"

Eureka looked down and saw her reflection. She was sad. She was crying. Her hair hung down and she looked dirty. Her eyes were wide with fear.

"Are you sad Eureka?" Renton asked.

"I'm…confused," Eureka told him.

"Come to me," Renton said.

Eureka took a step forward and the red electrical spark emitted from the water, but disappeared. Eureka took a step back.

"What's wrong?" Renton asked.

"I'm afraid," Eureka admitted.

"Afraid of what? Afraid of death? Afraid of the future? Afraid for yourself?"

"I…I don't think I can do it," Eureka told him worriedly.

"Than I cannot be with you…If you stay in the dark."

Immediately a door opened up behind Renton and light shimmered across the water.

"I don't know if I can help you Eureka," Renton said. "You are so far away."

Eureka gulped and began to take small steps forward. There was no more red electricity, but with every step, she sank deeper into the water. Afraid, she began to run faster and faster, only to find that she sank even deeper. Renton was very close, but he did nothing. Eureka tried to call his name, but no words could come out. She saw him standing there in front of the light with a sad face as if he expected her to drown. Soon, she was totally engulfed by the dark water. She tried to swim, but realized that it was no use and let her self slowly sink while in a lying position.

Beams of light came through the water and it seemed a bit beautiful. Eureka wondered if everything seemed beautiful when someone died. She was sad, but she knew there was nothing she could do. The darkness around her grew greater as she sank deeper into the water. She closed her eyes and waited to die.

"Hey, Eureka!" said a muffled voice. "Eureka! Eureka!"

The voice became clearer. It was the voice of a male and he said her name in different tones as if teasing her.

"Eureka…Eureka, wake up! Eureka…Eureka? Eureka!"

Eureka opened her eyes to see a blurred lounge room.

"What…" Eureka said.

"It's ten o'clock. Time to get up!"

Eureka looked up to see that it was Matthieu calling her. She was lying on the couch in a fetal position. She sat up and looked around.

"What happened?" she asked.

"You've overslept," Matthieu said. "You usually wake up early and why aren't you in your bed?"

"Where is Renton?" she asked.

"Oh, I think he went to the bridge. He didn't want to disturb you, but he seemed pretty down. Did something happen between you two?"

"I don't want to hurt him," Eureka said slowly.

"Huh? Well Hilda told me to wake you up and now I have to go see what Jobs wants, but you can go to the bridge if you want."

"Alright…" Eureka said as she got off the couch.

She knew that she definitely wasn't going to have a good day.

The next three days seemed miserable to Renton. Eureka had gone into her depressed state again and the crew did little to cheer her up. Everyone seemed either busy or worried. Eureka didn't try to avoid Renton this time, but she stayed quiet. Renton would constantly try to talk to her, but she'd always say that she didn't want to talk or she didn't feel like saying anything. Many times she didn't respond at all. Many times Eureka would wander off and sit alone somewhere while she thought. Renton tried to be with her as much as possible, but it didn't seem to have any effect. He was extremely worried and a little frustrated.

"What am I doing wrong this time?" Renton said as he pounded the wall.

He was in Matthieu and Moondoggie's room because they had invited him over to talk. The room had been cleaned, but there was still some junk on the floor.

"Maybe you need to give her more _action_," Matthieu said.

"Stop talking about that," Renton said.

"C'mon, Renton," Moondoggie said, "She's obviously asking for it."

"Maybe she's just overwhelmed," Renton said. "Maybe I should give her time to think."

"No, you have to act, Renton!" Matthieu said loudly. "If you don't act now, you could lose your chance at totally victory!"

"Total victory?" asked Renton as if he were talking to an idiot.

"Yes!" Matthieu said. "And redemption!"

"What am I redeeming myself for?" Renton asking.

"You're an idiot Renton," Matthieu said in a matter-of-fact tone. "That's why you need to redeem yourself by becoming a man!"

"You guys are idiots," Renton said with a faked laugh.

"Oh, well," Matthieu said, "but one day you might look back and think, 'I should have listened to Matthieu. He was so wise, but I did not comprehend his advice.'"

Moondoggie chuckled and they left the room leaving Renton laying on Matthieu's bed.

"I don't know what to do anymore,"Renton said to himself. "Why can't you help me, Gonzy?"

He lied there and slowly closed his eyes and dozed off.

"Renton," called a voice.

Renton looked around to find that he was standing in complete darkness.

"Renton…" called the voice again.

"Eureka?" Renton asked into the darkness.

He turned around to see Eureka standing about ten feet away. Her eyes were wide with fear and she was covered in blood. Her cheeks had red stains on them and streams of blood slowly flowed down her arms, dripping from her fingertips.

"Eureka!" Renton called with trepidation.

"Save me, Renton," she said.

Renton began to run toward her, but was suddenly blown back by some sort of barrier of red electricity. Renton pulled himself to his feet and began to run forward again. He hit the barrier, but continued to advance, inching his way closer. The electricity pulled him backwards, but he resisted with all the strength in his body. Soon he was only a foot away from Eureka and he stretched out his hand.

"Eureka!" he called painfully, "Grab my hand."

Eureka didn't move.

"Eureka!" he called again, the electricity burning his body.

Still she did not move. Then Renton felt a sudden jolt and was pulled back about five feet.

"Eureka!" he called again desperately.

"You are weak, Renton," she said sorrowfully. "I don't know if you can save me…"

"No! Eureka!"

Slowly, a shroud of darkness gathered around Eureka and began to consume her. Renton screamed, but was pulled further and further back by the barrier. Then, all went blank.

"A war?" Anemone asked.

"I'm not sure," Dominic said. "HQ has been packed with new LFOs, ammunition and weapons. Some big shot general has also come in."

"Who?" asked Anemone.

"I don't remember his name," Dominic told her.

"What's with men and war?" Anemone complained.

"It seems as though the world will never be at peace," Dominic sighed.

"Well, at least we'll have an opportunity to take our mind off things," Anemone said as she picked an envelope off the counter. "This is for you."

She tossed the envelope onto Dominic's lap.

"Things just aren't the same anymore," Holland said as he lied on the floor next to Charles.

The baby sat peacefully on the floor and smiled as he hit a toy skyfish that was hanging on a string.

"There so much to handle and so much stress," Holland said as he looked at Charles. "I have to worry about everyone's safety, even you."

"Mama…" said Charles slowly.

"No, I'm Papa," Holland said.

"Mama!" Charles said again.

Holland sighed and rolled onto his back.

"What am I going to do?" he asked himself.

Suddenly, the phone rang.

"Hey!" called Matthieu's voice. "Renton!"

Renton slowly opened his eyes.

"Wh…what happened?" Renton asked.

"_Eureka! Eureka! Grab my hand! _That's what happened," Matthieu answered with a smile. "What was she doing this time?"

"Ugh, shut up!" Renton barked as he sat up. "Why do you always have to talk about that?"

"Well, you're not the same little boy anymore, Renton." Matthieu told him matter-of-factly, "Eureka's not the same little girl anymore. You're mature, and it's about time you think about mature things. If you notice, everything's becoming a lot more complicated, a lot more…dark. You may not have noticed it before, but the life story always gets dark when you're older. Since you're older, you have to learn to cope with it all. You have to learn to cooperate. You have to become more aware, become more active with the world around you. You have to take action when there is a need. You can't just keep acting like the stupid helpless kid that has long gone. When Eureka is down, you have to bring her up…And since your old stuff isn't good anymore, you've got to go with something new…Something mature."

Renton was completely speechless. He couldn't believe how much wisdom Matthieu was speaking. It was like the old immature Matthieu had changed or been pushed away by some wise, philosopher Matthieu. Matthieu then leaned in, as if to whisper a secret. Renton also leaned forward.

"But the thing you must keep in mind at this moment," Matthieu breathed as Renton listen inventively, "is that…"

"What?" Renton asked quietly expecting something very wise to come forth.

"You're messing up my bed," Matthieu said plainly.

"Ugh!"

Renton jumped off the bed and walked out the door. He shook his head, but then thought about Matthieu's other words. It was true. In all the films he had seen and the manga he had read, the story always became darker as the protagonist grew older or more mature, the story became darker. More people died, more blood was spilled, love was in jeopardy, confusion, and emotion was scrambled in the pot along with fear and agony. Renton felt as though he was in the middle of the mix, being stirred around with the mix. Whoever was mixing it, he did not know, but he knew that whatever or whoever was being used to mix it all up would soon be revealed.

"Something more mature, huh?" Renton said to himself as he walked down the hall to his room.

He was pretty sure as to what Matthieu meant, but he kept telling himself that it was something deeper. When he opened the door to his room he was surprised. The room looked totally different. It appeared a little larger with some of the furniture moved and the bunk replaced with a large bed. The bed had a cheap metal frame, but had fluffy pillows and a nice red bed sheet. There was a grey nightstand next to the bed with a dim lamp on it.

"Hilda, Gidget, and I renovated the room," said a voice from behind Renton.

He quickly whirled around to see Eureka standing in the doorway with her head down.

"I…I hope you like it," she said softly as she raised her eyes, but still kept her head low.

"Where are the kids?" Renton asked.

"Hilda found a separate room for them two halls down," Eureka answered. "Gidget said that we needed…a space of our own."

"Eureka…" Renton said softly.

Eureka stepped closer to him and kept her head down.

"I…I'm sorry," she said. "I haven't done my best lately. I just can't stand being without you yet…I sometimes wish to be alone. I just haven't been myself lately. I don't know what it is. I'm afraid…of what it is…but I know that I shouldn't take anything out on you…even if I am your wife."

"My…wife?" Renton asked quietly.

"My name is on record as 'Eureka Thurston' if you haven't noticed," she answered.

"Maybe I haven't been acting like a good wife. I'm not even sure what a wife's duty is…"

Renton bit his lip. He kept hearing Matthieu's voice in his head. He knew what Matthieu would say if he were there.

_Eureka is my wife,_ Renton thought in his head, _what is a husband supposed to do?_

"Maybe…maybe I'm not good enough to bear the last name Thurston," Eureka said sorrowfully.

"Eureka…" Renton held her in his arms as she sobbed.

He then raised her chin and wiped away her tears. She had that same beauty; the beauty she had when she was sad and her cheeks glazed with tears. He loved her so much.

"Renton…" Eureka said softly.

Renton didn't know if he could hold out any longer. He didn't know if his body could hold out any longer. He couldn't hold out. He then pressed his lips against hers and kissed her rather violently. He put his hand behind her head and his arm around her waist. She reacted by kissing him back and wrapping her arms around his neck. Renton found himself pushing her against the wall and she made a small moaning sound.

"I love you, Eureka," he breathed as he pulled his lips back for a second.

"Oh, Renton," she moaned.

His hands seemed to have a mind of their own as moved down her body. The temperature seemed to be rising so he threw his jacket off.

_I love Eureka, _Renton thought, _I love her so much. I want to show her how much I lover her. I must…I must…I'm going to-_

"Gyaaah!" screamed a voice from the doorway.

Renton jumped from Eureka and they both looked at the doorway.

"Um…" started Gidget with her hands on her mouth, "you…I…You should close the door next time…"

"S-sorry," Renton apologized.

"And Holland wants everyone to come to the lounge for an announcement," Gidget added.

Renton nodded and he and Eureka followed Gidget to the lounge. Everyone was there and Hilda stared at Renton with a "What happened to you?" sort of look. Renton did realize that he was sweating and his hair and shirt were messy. Matthieu had a grin on his face, but took it off when Holland cleared his throat.

"Ahem, something's come up," Holland announced. "I'm hoping it will help us to rehabilitate and let us forget about the past events…I have received an invitation from _Colonel _Jurgens to attend a party on his air yacht. It is to be formal so we have to look nice…"

Holland seemed to have a loss of words and everyone else was silent.

"When is it?" asked Mischa.

"It's tonight," Holland said. "He tried to send the invitation sooner, but…we were busy at the moment. We're going to land in the nearest city and a shuttle will pick us up, but we have to do some shopping first."

Everyone was silent then there were a few whispers.

"We just have to decide who's watching the ship," Talho added.

There was a few arguments, but it was finally decided that Jobs, Woz, and Ken-Goh were to watch the ship and Mischa was to watch Baby Charles and the kids. They landed in a nearby city and went on a huge shopping spree. Everyone was running everyone looking for something nice to wear. Renton wanted to stick with Eureka, but Hap, Matthieu, and Moondoggie dragged him one way while Gidget, Hilda, Talho, and Eureka went another way. Finally, as the dusk approached, Renton found himself with his hair combed down a little and his body fitted into a black suit with a tie. It was his first suit and he felt a little odd wearing it. His shoes were nice and shiny and his clothes felt smooth.

Moondoggie, Matthieu, and Hap basically wore the same outfit except that Hap's suit was grey, and Moondoggie's was navy blue. Matthieu had some expensive-looking sunglasses to go with his suit even though it was getting dark. Holland wore a very nice Tuxedo, but Renton wasn't sure if it suited him. As they walked to the shuttle, he noticed Holland looking a little uncomfortable. Renton had never seen Holland look to nice. It was almost out of character. The men waited by the shuttle for the women to arrive.

"Ugh…What's taking them so long?"

While they waited, Renton couldn't keep his mind off of his small 'exciting' moment with Eureka. He couldn't keep it out of his mind and his imagination seemed to be going crazy with the thought of what he would've-could've done if Gidget hadn't interrupted.

_What would've happened? _Renton asked himself. _Should I have done anything?Maybe I'm not ready. Maybe Eureka isn't ready…Why am I even thinking about this._

"Something wrong, Renton? Moondoggie asked curiously.

"No," Renton said as he felt a little warm.

"Oooh! Did I just see a blush?" Matthieu exclaimed.

Holland simply sighed and laid back against the shuttle door.

"We're here!" called Gidget's voice.

Hilda, Gidget, Talho, and Eureka came up to the landing pad with smiles on their faces. Gidget wore a long grayish white dress that exposed her shoulders and back, Talho wore a long black dress with no sleeves, and Hilda wore a beige dress similar to Talho's. Each of them had makeup on and few jewelry accessories. They looked absolutely different from their normal selves, but Renton couldn't keep his eyes of Eureka. Eureka wore a sparkling white dress that was sleeveless and exposed part of her chest, held up by two straps on her shoulders. She had her bans clipped to the side and her long hair combed back. She also wore diamond earrings and a pearl necklace.

"Woooooo," Matthieu called out as Moondoggie cleared his throat.

"How do I look?" Gidget said as she did a little spin.

"Um…Uh…Beautiful!" Moondoggie complimented as he blushed.

"It was hard bargaining, but we actually got the lady to give us a discount," Gidget added.

"You really have to have everything, Gidget," Hilda said.

Eureka walked up to Renton. The way she looked reminded him of the day they went to the theme park, but better.

"How…How do I look?" Eureka asked nervously.

"You turn-I mean, you look great!" Renton told her.

"You look nice, too," Eureka complimented.

"I'm really not sure about this suit," Holland said as he chatted with Talho.

"I think we should all get going," Talho said and they boarded the shuttle.

Holland constantly kept fingering his bow tie or straightening his suit. He really wasn't fond of the suit, such formal attire reminded of his military days.

"Stop messing with your suit," Talho ordered, "you'll ruin it."

"Sorry," said Holland as he took his hands off his collar.

Everyone seemed quieter than usual, but the trip was short.

"Here we are," announced the pilot.

Everyone looked out the window in awe. Flowing smoothly through the sky was a large silvery white ship with a rounded bottom, pointed stern, and several levels placed on it. The shuttle landed on a landing zone at the front of the ship. The door opened and everyone got off the ship.

"Wow…" Matthieu said. "This Jurgens guy really has some money.

"This way," said a young girl in a white suit.

They walked down a red carpet to a double door entrance.

"Ah, well if it isn't Holland Novak," greeted Jurgens with a smile, "and Gekkostate. Welcome to my yacht, the Shiro Nami!"

He wore a white U.F. Colonel with the same face that Holland remembered. He greeted everyone kindly as they past, but Holland wasn't so sure everyone remembered Jurgens. Holland began to walk past Jurgens with a smile when the Colonel drew his hand out and stopped Holland in his tracks.

"There will be no need of weapons here," Jurgens said calmly as se reached into Holland's jacket and pulled out the 44 caliber pistol. "I've been in the military since I was twenty. I know when a man's hiding a gun in his suit."

"I was only being cautious," Holland explained seriously.

Jurgens sighed.

"You're in a safe place, Holland," he told him. "This vessel isn't just for looks. I had a few 'surprises' installed. Also, I have the best guards in the world of which an enemy would least expect."

He gestured to the young girls in white suits running back and fourth serving drinks and food. Holland recognized them as the former Ageha Squad.

"Alright," Holland agreed.

"Now let's take this time to temporarily forget the past and enjoy ourselves."

"Wow," Renton said as he first entered the room.

They were in a very large ball room with a large dance floor and several round tables with white tablecloths surrounding it. There was a band on stage playing slow classical music. The room was furnished mainly with white and gold. There were large pillars holding up the room and several crystal chandeliers overhead. There were quite a few people chatting with each other, but Renton didn't recognize any of them.

"I've never seen a ship this nice," Moondoggie said with awe.

Matthieu simple let out a loud whistle.

Renton and Eureka sat down at one of the tables and looked around. The chairs had soft golden cushions and there was a batch of rainbow-colored roses in the center of the table. Renton didn't know what to expect. He definitely didn't know proper etiquette and he wasn't sure what activities would take place. He had never been to something so formal before. Renton turned to notice that Eureka was looking a little sad. Maybe she was remembering something from the past events.

"Are you alright, Eureka?" he asking slowly.

"I'm okay," Eureka said as she smiled.

"Let's have a good night," Renton suggested.

Eureka nodded.

"I'm glad that I can take this night to enjoy myself," said Captain Tanaka, on of Dominic's colleagues. "Things have been really busy."

"I haven't had much rest either," Dominic said with sigh.

"Jurgens has been living quite a good life," Tanaka said as he looked around at the ballroom.

"Yes, he has," Dominic agreed.

Dominic was about to say something when Anemone came up to him and tugged on his sleeve.

"Look who just came in," she said.

Dominic was about to scold her for interrupting, but then looked to see the messy brown hair of Renton Thurston and the aqua teal hair of Eureka.

"Excuse me," Dominic said to Tanaka whom then nodded.

Dominic walked briskly up behind Renton and put his hand on his shoulder.

"Hello, Mr. Thurston!" he said rather loudly.

Renton jumped then turned around.

"Hey Dominic," he said, surprised.

"Having fun?" Dominic asked.

"We just got here," Renton said.

"I hope you're doing well," Anemone said.

"We are," Eureka said with a bit of uncertainty.

Dominic pulled out a chair for Anemone then sat down himself.

"The Federation has been very busy lately," Dominic said, "but I've been trying to take a break.

"The world will never be at peace," Anemone complained.

"Um…well," Dominic said, thinking of a way to change the subject. "How are the kids doing?"

"They're doing well," Eureka said, "but I don't think they took all the incidents so well."

Eureka frowned a little.

"Well," Dominic said, changing the subject once again, "I haven't picked up the latest _ray=out_, but do you think you could fill me in on what's new?"

"I haven't seen too much of _ray=out_ lately," Renton said. "Stoner's gone so _ray=out_ isn't as great as it used to be."

"Oh, so-"

"Hey, Dominic," Anemone interrupted again. "Do you want to dance?"

"Um…uh…"

Dominic knew Anemone would get frustrated if he didn't accept.

"Alright," he said as he took her hand. "Will you excuse us, Renton, Eureka?"

They walked to the dance floor where a few couples were already dancing. Dominic was a little frustrated with Anemone's interruptions, but soon forgot them as he gazed at her beautiful smile. She wore a white fancy dress and had her hair tied back. She also had sparkling diamond earrings and a matching necklace.

"It's been a while since we've danced," Anemone said softly.

"Indeed," Dominic said, unable to recall ever dancing with Anemone.

Dominic held her hand and waist and they began to waltz to the slow music. Dominic grinned as their eyes focused on each other. As a minute or so past, Dominic noticed Anemone's smile slipping away.

"Something wrong?" he asked worriedly.

"Nothing," she said as she blinked several times. "Just a few memories…"

"We came tonight to get away from everything else," Dominic said. "Let's just keep tonight simple."

"You're right," Anemone agreed quietly.

Renton watched as Anemone and Dominic danced slowly. He looked at Eureka and wished he could do the same with her. Charles Beams may have given him a few tips, but Renton had absolutely no idea how to dance formally. Then again, Eureka didn't know anything about dancing either. Eureka seemed to gaze at the people dancing as if she had a longing to learn to dance. For that, Renton felt a little sorrowful.

"Um, Eureka," he asked slowly "do you want to walk around a bit?"

"Okay," Eureka said and they got up to explore a little of the ship.

They found themselves at the back of the ship where there was a set of chairs and an outdoor Jacuzzi, quite the romantic setting. They went to the very back of the ship and held onto the railing. It was already late and the moon glowed brightly in the sky. The moonlight made Eureka's skin appear to glow. It gave her a sort of mystical look. Renton chuckled as he looked at the giant ball of wonder in the sky.

"I had forgotten about the moon," he admitted. "It has our names on it."

"I had forgotten too," Eureka said. "Maybe too many things have gotten in the way."

She frowned and tilted her head downward.

"Eureka," Renton said, "let's try not to think about _that _right now…please."

"But I just can't…" Eureka told him, "I just can't keep it out of my mind…It seems to haunt me…"

Renton leaned toward Eureka and kissed her.

"Tell me how you feel," Renton said and he held her close to him.

"Many times," she answered, "I feel as though I'm caught up in everything…everything feels so complicated. I still feel…feel like I'm still tainted with blood…The blood of people I didn't know…Whose deaths I cannot understand."

"And you still feel this way?" Renton asked worriedly.

"No," Eureka answered calmly as a smile appeared on her face.

She then turned her head to look at the moon.

"Tonight I feel different," she said. "Everything feels simple and clean."

"So you're not afraid?" he asked.

"Are you afraid?" Eureka asked curiously. "Afraid of the future? I mean with all that has happened, something else will come…"

"Regardless of warnings, the future doesn't scare me at all."

She held Renton's hand and rested her head on his shoulder and they stared at the moon in loving silence.

"I hate all this white," Holland said as he walked out onto the balcony next to Jurgens. "It all reminds me of someone I'd like to forget….No offense."

"None taken," Jurgens said as he looked out into the starry night. "Having fun?"

"Somewhat," Holland said. "I thought you were retired."

"I was going to retire," Jurgens said. "Actually, I did retire, but the military life seemed to call me back. They even offered me position as colonel."

"Seems you're living the good life," Holland commented.

"It's all the publicity," Jurgens answered plainly. "I've been on a few military shows and whatnot. Though I need to the money, I have to take care of the girls."

"Can't they take care of themselves?"

"When it comes to defense and survival, yes, but as far as their demands, girls are expensive…Everything seems to be going well right now, but something is going to happen."

"Like what?"

"A new general has come to this area. General Conrad Ulysses. Ulysses was some big shot war hero and he is expecting some sort of battle."

"What do you mean?"

"He and his troops have been bringing in all kinds of new equipment and weapons. The U.F. generals know something that they won't exactly explain. All I know is that a scientist has given them information about some organization and something about a super weapon."

"Super weapon?"

"That's all I know."

"Don't tell me there's going to be some sort of war."

"This world will never be free from war and violence. A much wiser man than myself once said, 'As long as there is man, there will be war'."

Holland sighed and put his hand on his head.

"So much keeps happening…so fast."

"Don't worry, Holland, peace shall find a way. By the way, how is the kid going?"

"He's alright," answered Holland tiredly. "I still have to get used to being a dad."

"It will be shame though," sighed Jurgens.

"What?"

"He'll never know his relatives…"

"Well I won't tell him about Dewey until he's older."

"Yes and no one knows what happened to Margret…It was a shame, the kind of person Dewey was."

"Margret? Who?"

Jurgens gave Holland a look of disbelief.

"You mean you didn't know that Dewey was-"

"CAPTAIN!" came a yell from inside the ballroom.

Jurgens spun around to see one of the young Ageha girls running toward him.

"What is it?"

"We are having some difficulties," the blonde girl informed him.

Jurgens grunted and went inside leaving Holland wondering about the conversation the just had.

"What is it?" asked one of the girls who had her hand in her coat.

Dominic suspected that she had a gun concealed and was ready to use it when necessary.

"Hold on hold on!" Dominic said, raising his hands. "Don't worry, he's harmless! He's my um-He's my pet!"

Gulliver sat on the buffet table knocking over beautiful china and gobbling anything edible in his path like a destructive machine.

"What's happened?" said Anemone rushing up to Dominic.

She stared wide-eyed at Gulliver on the table and quickly picked him up. Then she gave a hateful glare at a man in a black suit who appeared to be a servant at the party.

"You! This is all your fault!" she barked at the man.

"I'm sorry, Miss, but he was uncontrollable! I couldn't-"

"Don't give me that!" yelled Anemone and the man backed away with fright.

Dominic put his hand on his forehead. They were the center of attention; all the eyes in the ballroom were on them. He nervously strode toward Anemone who looked on the verge of exploding.

"I think we should go," Dominic said with unease.

"My night's just been ruined! And it's because _someone_ couldn't handle a menial task!" she scowled at the man in the black suit.

"Anemone, c'mon!" Dominic said, trying to avoid making eye contact with anyone, especially someone he knew.

"What's happened here?" asked Captain Jurgens with his eyebrows furrowed.

"There was an accident, but we're just leaving," Dominic said before Anemone could blurt anything out.

Jurgens said something to him, but Dominic wasn't listening. Dominic's attention was drawn to a figure across the ballroom who was wearing a blackish-gray coat with a hood over their head. He couldn't tell who it was, but he kept thinking about the man with the gasmask. He looked away to nod at Jurgens then looked back to see the figure gone. The image haunted Dominic's mind and he and Anemone left.

The party finally ended and everyone seemed like they were wiped out. The dragged themselves into the Gekko-Go and got ready for bed. Eureka had had a good night, but felt extremely exhausted. She got into her sleeping gown and fell onto the bed without waiting for Renton. She pulled over the covers and went to sleep.

Eureka found herself standing in the same exact blank black space as before. The dark void was haunting and cold. Eureka knew that something bad was going to happen. Suddenly, there was a flash of light and several images flashed before her. She saw the dead bodies of Traverse town, the dead man at the restaurant, the dead surgeons and security guards at the mysterious building. She saw images of dripping blood and fire. Then there was the image of two red angular eyes. They glowed in the darkness and then there was the image of the red electricity shocking her and then an image of Renton also being shocked. Finally, it stopped.

"Why?" Eureka said slowly as she found herself kneeling on the cold dark ground. "Why…"

"Because this is what's happening to you, Eureka," said a voice.

Eureka quickly looked up to see Renton standing a few feet away from her.

"Renton…" she said slowly.

"Eureka," Renton said in a very dark and serious voice. "Something is happening to you and you know it. You may not want to believe it, but we are moving farther and farther apart. Our internal unity is fading. We can't last…I can't last. There's nothing I can do…"

"Why can't we just try, Renton," she said helplessly. "Why can't we just forget it all…Why can't we just make it go away? Can't we just let it all go?"

"No," Renton said, "I don't think life is quite that simple."

A door of light once again opened again behind Renton.

"No…Renton," Eureka said, but Renton slowly turned and began to walk away.

Renton kept on walking and Eureka found the strength to pull herself up and run towards him. He was already past the doorway. She expected a barrier to be there once again, but there wasn't. As she ran through the doorway she found herself in a large land with a starry sky, distant mountains, and a vast grass field, but she only gave it a small glance before she rushed to Renton.

"Please, Renton, don't go!" she cried as she stepped in front of him and threw her arms around him.

She rested her head on his chest and let all of her tears flow onto his shirt like a waterfall.

"Simple and clean is the way that you're making me feel, tonight," she said, "it's hard to let it go…"

She squeezed tightly onto his jacket as if it was all she had left. She looked up to see him starring into the starry night. She held on to him tightly because she didn't want him to go. She didn't want to loose him. She felt as though she would die if he were gone. Nothing meant more to her than Renton. Her entire life was him, but still, she felt as though she was being pulled away from him. She knew that something was happening and she knew Renton was afraid, but nothing was completely certain.

"Are you not afraid of what will happen?" asked Renton, "What do you want me to do?"

"Hold me," she said softly. "Whatever lies beyond this morning, is a little later on. Regardless, of warnings, the future doesn't scare me at all."

"Nothing's like before…" Renton said.

Then everything vanished.

Chapter 25: Crawling

Steller sat there…quietly. He was a statue a statue; a silent statue frozen in space and time. If he was noticed, the spell would be released and he would break out of his shell and be a statue no longer. He would be a demon, a killer. Steller stood in the shadows for what seemed like a few minutes. In front of him were two guards. One was bony and tall and the other was pudgy and stout. Guards were always the stupidest sort of men. The two of them had been chattering on and on like a couple of babbling monkeys. Steller sat their watching them, waiting.

He grew tired of the men. He just wanted to kill them, but the mission was to have minimal fatalities. Plus, there was no time to hide the bodies. Steller just couldn't take the risk, but he was running out of time. If he had to blow the whole place up he would. It's not like it really mattered how many people he killed. Steller had already hacked into the security system, but was not able to turn off the alarm system because there were several backup alarms placed and a large network of protection, but Steller was able to set all the security cameras to standby, but it wouldn't be long until someone noticed. There was no time to waste. He was going to complete the mission.

"Now I'm telling you-Hey! Who are-"

Steller had stepped out of the darkness, but before the man could say another word, Steller shot both of them in the head with his silenced pistol. He then ran down the hall as swiftly as he could. He began to approach a corner and he could hear footsteps coming from around it. He pulled out his combat knife and flung it toward the corner. Just as another guard turned the corner, it struck him in the head and the guard slammed against the wall. Steller quickly snatched the knife from the man's skull as he ran by.

Steller needed to access the bottom floor. That the location of the lab and where he would find the objective. Steller flung himself against the wall and lay flat as the door next to him immediately opened. A man in a white coat stepped out. Steller crept up behind the man and slit his throat. He took what he needed, the scientist's ID card. The laboratories would obviously have high security and the barcode on the ID card indicated that there was a cardkey scanner.

"Sound the alarm!" called a man in a custodian outfit who had just opened another door ahead of Steller.

Steller shot the man twice in the chest and once in the head. He then ran quickly to the open door just to see a man jump for a red alarm switch. Steller shot the man's arm and kicked a chair at the man who was standing in the corner pulling a pistol out of his suit. The woman hit the wall and fell onto the floor like a rag doll. Steller then aimed at the man who was lying on the floor with his bloody arm gone limp.

"Wait! Wait!" screamed the helpless man holding up his left hand, the hand that hadn't been shot.

Steller did not hesitate to shoot the man in the head and move on. He reached an elevator and pulled out the keycard. There was a scanner next to the elevator door below the up and down buttons. Steller clenched his fist when he saw a thumb scanner adjacent to the cardkey scanner. He had to find another keycard and a hand to go with it. Just then an alarm sounded and Steller clenched his fist harder.

"Don't move!" ordered an aggressive voice.

Steller turned around to see two heavily armed guards standing behind him in the hallways holding submachine guns.

"I said don't move!" yelled the guard.

Steller stood still.

"Drop your weapon!" called the second guard.

Steller did not obey.

"Drop your weapon NOW!" ordered the first guard.

Steller quickly aimed his pistol upward and shot two lamps on the ceiling. The segment of the hallway grew dark. The guards immediately fired their weapons, but Steller threw himself onto the floor to evade their fire and shot both of the guards through their visors.

There was a ring and Steller turned to see the light above the elevator door flash on. Steller quickly pressed himself against the wall beside the elevator door just as it opened. A guard and a scientist ran out toward the bodies. Steller slipped into the elevator and closed the door. He pressed the button for the bottom floor and the elevator began to descend. He was three floors away from the labs when the elevator came to a halt. Steller blew open the emergency hatch located on the elevator ceiling and Steller flung himself into the elevator shaft and hooked himself to the wall with his grappling hook.

The elevator door opened below and a guard stepped into the elevator. Just as the guard looked up, Steller used his laser cutter to cut the elevator wire and the elevator flew down the shaft and crashed at the bottom causing the guard to slipped and hit his head against the floor, knocking him unconscious. Two guards were standing in the open doorway where the elevator had been. They stared at the bottom of the shaft dumbfounded. One of them looked up and Steller shot both of them, causing one of them to fall into the shaft and hit the elevator with a crunch.

Steller slid against the wall and hopped back into the elevator. He then pried the door open and stepped into a hallway with concrete walls. The alarm stilled sounded and he could hear people running about. Steller ran down the hall and hid himself in a dark empty room. Several guards ran by and then he waited a few minutes when he heard voices.

"Send security to the lab," said a man's voice. "That's probably the enemy's motive."

"Yes, but the lab is well protected," said a female voice. "It's impossible to hack into the system and they'll need a keycard, thumbprint, and a security password is required to open the blast door."

The two voices were approaching the door and just as they walked by, Steller pulled both the man and woman into the room. He snapped the large man's neck and slammed the woman against the wall, pressing his gun against her throat.

"What is the password?" asked Steller calmly.

"Wh-what-how-"

"What is the password?" asked Steller more aggressively.

The woman gulped as Steller pressed the barrel harder against her skin.

"I-I don't know! The password is only known by a select few," she answered.

"We'll see," said Steller coldly.

He ejected the syringe from his left wrist and stabbed truth serum into her neck. She struggled, but then relaxed. The serum was known as Formula Four. It was Hyde's creation and was a mixture of thiopental sodium and a top secret chemical that was used in most of Hyde's concoctions. Anyone injected with the serum became very communicative, sharing thoughts without hesitation. The serum acted quickly to block off certain parts of the brain. It allowed them to remember, but not to think about their answer, disabling the ability to lie.

"What is the password?" Steller asked once again.

"It…it …'Trinity'…"

She then fell unconscious. Steller held her in front of him as a hostage and walked out the door. He needed her keycard and thumbprint to access the labs. He could simply amputate her hand and take the keycard, but the newest thumb scanners only detected warm thumbs. His pistol was shot out of his hand just as he entered the hall and a man in a suit stood in front of him holding a large pistol.

"Freeze!" ordered the man.

"Steller reached for his belt and with lighting speed, he pointed his laser cutter at the man's eyes. The man fired, but missed as he felt to the floor, withering in pain, covering his face. Steller hit his hostage upside the head and carried her unconscious body on his shoulder. He then picked up the handgun on the ground and moved on, leaving the man squirming on the ground. It took Steller several minutes to find the main door to the laboratory. The entire place was a labyrinth and he passed by similar doors and rooms like some confusing maze. He had already shot four guards on his search for the entrance.

Steller crept down the corridor and came to an intersection in the hall way. He heard a voice from around the corner, "Take him down on sight!" Steller took his hostage off his shoulder and held her in front of him by the back of her neck, his large gun pointed at her neck. He slowly advanced around the corner to be faced by a small group of about ten heavily armored guards. There was a row of five men kneeling in front with machineguns and a row standing in the back with assault rifles. There it was, like a gigantic picture frame behind the small army was the humongous ten foot long blast door leading to the main labs.

"Hold you fire!" ordered one of the guards.

Steller kept his hostage straight in front of him and slowly advanced.

"Freeze!" called the guard captain. "Do not move!"

Steller paused and a few of the guards shifted unsteadily. Steller aimed his handgun and shot the ceiling lights once again. He then tossed his hostage at the guards, causing them to topple over like dominos. Some of them open fired, but Steller evaded their attack by running on the wall and jumping over their heads.

"Where the hell is he?" yelled one of the guards.

Steller was right behind them. As they stood, he snapped one of their necks and grabbed the guard's machinegun. He mowed down the rest of the guards with bullets and grabbed his hostage. The alarm still wailed through the halls. The cold-blooded killer gazed upon his objective. It was a massive blast door, maybe ten feet tall and fifteen feet wide. The door was a dull gray color with black and yellow stripes bordering it, and a keypad on the right side.

The keypad had a glass covering over it which required a metal key. Steller easy ripped the cover off and punched in the code: TRINITY. There was a hissing noise and the door slowly opened. There was another door. This door was a bit smaller and was a shiny chrome look. It had another keypad on its side and Steller used his hostage's keycard and thumb to access it. The door slid open faster than their eyes could see and Steller walked in. The labs were deserted and the lights were dim. Steller carelessly placed his hostage on a table and looked around. The labs were large with several display cases in which strange contraptions sat. There were several tables with all kinds of bizarre equipment. He kept searching. His objective was supposed to be secured in a vault somewhere in the labs. Then he saw it. Straight in front of him at the end of the lab was a small niche in the wall with an open safe. It was gone. Someone had taken it when the alarm had sounded. There was only one place it could've been taken.

"Hey! Stop!" yelled a voice.

Steller spun around to see a guard standing in the doorway of the labs. Steller aimed at the control pad and shot it. This caused the doors to immediately close, crushing the man in the doorway with a sickening crunch. Steller had to find a new escape route. He used his grapple to hook onto the wall to his right where a vent was located. He used his laser cutter to loosen the door and then he ripped it off revealing a series of laser tripwires. The tripwires would set off an alarm which was already ringing through the building, but it would also give off his position.

Steller began crawling through the dark metal passageway like an animal in its burrow. He had no idea where the hanger was, but he knew it was on the same level. He crawled through several more sections of the shaft when there was a sudden burst of gunfire and bullet holes appeared in the shaft a few feet in front of him.

"He's in the ventilation shaft!" called a deep voice.

There were a few more gunshots that penetrated the metal shaft and then the gunfire ceased. Steller used his grapple to hook onto the opposite end of the shaft which was around ten feet away. The grapple pulled him across, quickly sliding him past the spot where the bullet holes were. The guards began to fire again, making sure to fire at all parts of the shaft. Steller quickly noticed a vent near the place where he sat. He took a stun grenade from his belt, pulled the pin, kicked open the vent, and hurled the grenade in.

"Grenade! Get down!" warned one of the guards.

There was a deep boom and a flash of light as if a firework had just gone off. Steller jumped into the room too find most of the guards knocked down or covering their eyes, weapons dropped. There were nine of them and all were wearing heavy armor like those of the guards who lay dead in front of the lab. He was in a large storage room; the hanger had to be close by.

One guard was still standing with a machine gun out, but he looked a little dazed. Steller dodged a few rounds then kicked the gun out of the guard's hands. Steller caught the gun, whipped the weaponless guard in the face then turned and shot two guards who were raising their assault rifles. Another guard pulled a pistol from his holster, but Steller simply spin kicked him in the face with a _crack_ as his metal foot collided with the man's head. The remaining guards were still struggling to regain stability. Steller took one machinegun in each hand and mowed them all down.

He exited the room through a large metal door and proceeded down the next few corridors, running as fast as he could still holding both weapons.

He reached another blast door which most likely led to the hanger. There was no keypad and the door looked as thick as the concrete walls around it. Steller thought for a moment, but there was then a hissing noise and the door began to open. Steller stepped back and went around the corner. He heard the voices of several guards.

"Shoot any unknown individuals without warning!"

"Don't let your guard down!"

"This guy is tough. You can't waste a bullet."

Steller flipped around the corner and gunned down all six guards with his newly equipped machineguns. He then slipped through the blast door as it closed. He found himself on a metal balcony inside the gigantic hanger. The floor was about fifty feet below and the control center was only a few feet away.

"Hey! There he is!" called a guard.

Steller found himself stuck with guards running at him from both sides. He raised his machineguns in each had and fired at both sides. He was able to take down three guards on each side before running out of ammo. Only one guard remained on each side and they both fired their guns. Steller ducked to dodge their shots, causing them to shoot each other. Steller looked down below at the hanger area in which a large bird-shaped transport ship was being prepared for departure. The hanger door was slowly opening. There wasn't much time.

"We have to leave now! Now!" hollered a voice from below.

Several men ran into the ship including a very familiar face to Steller. In this man's hands was the objective. The back door to the ship began to close and the engines started up. The ship slowly accelerated with green trappar waves visible at the rear. Steller took a fragmentation grenade from his belt and hurled it into the control center. The men in the room rushed to the door, but were too late as the grenade exploded, destroying everything in the room. The destruction of the control room caused the emergency hanger door to close. The massive door came crashing down onto the cockpit of the ship just as it took off. The headless body of the metal bird crashed into the wall. The collision caused a shockwave which sent everyone else in the hanger falling backward.

_Perfect,_ Steller thought.

Steller connected his grapple to the railing and lowered himself down to the floor below. He picked up a rifle that was lying on the ground then casually walked past all the rubble to the back part of the crashed ship. The cargo door to the ship was crumpled at the top so it was easy for Steller to bend open the large door with one hand. He walked inside the cargo room to find several smashed crates lying here and there along with a few dead bodies.

_BANG!_

A bullet shot right into the left side of Steller's abdomen. He recoiled by stepping back, but the damage was not great. Then Steller saw him. He was sitting in the far corner of the room clutching the objective in his hands like a mother protecting its child. His left arm was bleeding and he had a pistol in his right hand, shaking slightly.

"You…" said Holland Novak with hate and fury in his voice as well as in his eyes.

Steller said nothing. Holland fired another shot which Steller dodged with a quick sidestep. Steller shot the gun out of Holland's hand and watched as Holland grunted with pain as his hand began to bleed.

"Pathetic," Steller said coldly.

The supposedly strong soldier now lay before him helpless with fear hiding behind the anger in his bloodstained face. Of course, Steller knew the truth, but he couldn't help feeling a bit of pride and power as he stared at his enemy.

"Hand it over," said Steller with the clear intent of killing Holland anyways.

"No…you'll have to pry it from my cold dead fingers," responded Holland firmly, spitting blood at Steller.

Steller paused. And if his jaw joints were visible, he would be smiling a most devious smile. It may not be true revenge, but it was the closest thing at the moment.

"Fine," agreed Steller calmly.

He didn't hesitate to pump several rounds into Holland's head. Novak was dead and the objective was Steller's for the taking. He did as Holland said and pried the black box from the fallen soldier's arms. Steller raised the box to his eye level. It was the size of the average human foot and it was colored charcoal black. There was a keypad on it with several numbers. Steller found himself unlocking the box as though he had always known what to do. He typed in the password: TRINITY. Then he slowly opened the box and…

BAM!

There was a flash of light and Roth felt himself lying on his back. The world went blank and the words: MISSION FAILED flashed before his eyes.

"Rats! Steller, I thought you almost had it!" said Dr. Jacob Wakabayashi.

"Dammit! So close! SO close!" exclaimed Ben.

The plug in the back of Roth's head detached itself and Roth gained normal view of the simulation chamber. He climbed off the seat and shook his head.

"What the hell happened?" asked Roth with a dull tone of voice.

"You died!" exclaimed Ben into the microphone.

Dr. Wakabayashi pushed Ben out of the way.

"You weren't supposed to open the box," the scientist explained. "I know this is your first simulation mission, but you should follow directions next time."

"Sorry about that…" apologized Roth.

"That was still freakin' awesome!" cheered Ben.

"What the hell are you even doing here?" asked Roth.

"I heard that you were in here and I just decided to drop in and check out the simulator. I mean this thing's crazy! It's so damn realistic. I wonder if you can use it for other things than fighting."

Ben had a smirk on his face at whatever thoughts he was having. Roth shook his head and walked out of the room. He still couldn't concentrate. His recent dream was haunting him.

It had been a dream about Eka. It was about her death. She was lying on the dirt covered in blood. Her lifeless body was bent unnaturally. Her eyes were blank like that of a doll. She seemed absolutely dead yet her lips moved. She was mouthing inaudible words, but Roth knew what they were. "Help me…" He had ran towards her, but her body was blown away by an explosion. Roth then stood in a pitch black space. Eka was standing in front of him still covered in blood with lifeless eyes. She whispered the words "Avenge me…" then she disappeared as Roth tried to touch her. Roth's need for revenge had grown greater; Eka would not leave his mind. Maybe it was best if he talked to Elsa. Roth tried to wipe it away as Elsa had advised, but revenge was still buried deep inside him.

Eureka woke up with a shudder. Everything seemed to be spinning. Her head felt as if she had plunged deep into water. She couldn't breathe, but slowly her breathe came back. She looked to her right to see Renton still asleep and still in his nice suit. Eureka decided not to bother him and sat there in silence for what seemed to be a very long time.

_What does it all mean? _Eureka asked herself, _What's happening to me? Why is it like this? I know there's something wrong, but I don't know what! I don't want Renton to go. He wouldn't really go…Would he?_

Her head still hurt so she decided that she should get out of bed. So she walked to the door and glanced back once as she walked down the hall in the darkness.

Holland stared at the running water coming from the sink faucet. He really wasn't paying attention to the water as he washed his face because he was deep in thought. He had just had a dream about Dewey. He was back on the ship where Dewey had shot himself except one thing was different. Dewey wasn't dead. He was dying, but he was mumbling something with his last breaths. Blood flowed from Dewey's head like a waterfall, but he still kept mumbling. Holland had stepped closer to hear what was being mumbled, but it was inaudible. Then he had woken.

Holland knew that the dream had meaning and that it meant that Dewey had kept many secrets from him. What these were, he did not know. It disturbed him so he could not sleep. Something told him that he should go outside and so he walked out to the door. He found himself heading to the lounge where he had a glass of water then he went to the mission briefing room. As he entered he heard a depressing sound, the sound of someone weeping. He looked across the glowing table to see Eureka with her head buried in her arms.

"Eureka?" he asked calmly.

Then everything happened…

Renton was walking down a dark hall. He kept walking on and on, not knowing where he was going. Suddenly he felt the presence of someone else. He stopped in his tracks and gazed into the darkness beyond. At first, he could only make out a dark figure, but then he recognized the hair color and knew it was Eureka.

"Eureka?" he asked, but he knew something was wrong.

She walked slowly and limped a little with her head down.

"Is there…" Renton couldn't finish his sentence.

His mouth felt dry and his skin shivered from a sudden blanket of cold. Eureka stopped in her tracks in front of him with her face invisible behind her long bangs. Renton gulped as he felt an abnormal fear while looking at Eureka's pale figure. She stood as still as a statue for what seemed like a minute or so as the cold shivering feeling took over Renton's body. He wasn't sure if the person standing in front of him was really who he thought it was.

"Wh-who are?" asked Renton in a quiet voice.

For a moment there was no response. Then Renton felt a hand thrust up against his chest, pinning him against the wall with his feet slightly lifted from the ground.

"I'm Eureka," she said as she pressed her palm tightly against Renton's chest, making feel as though there was a ton of weight placed on him.

Then she lifted her head and her face was clear. It seemed paler than usual and odd with her hair over her face, but her eyes were clear. They were wide open and her irises crimson red instead of their normal pinkish color. Her eyes were filled with death and hate. The red shown like the fresh blood of the bodies at Traverse Town. As Renton gazed into them with extreme trepidation, he felt a burning sensation in his own eyes. He wanted to take his eyes off of her, but his eyes where locked in place. Everything seemed to go dark except for the two red eyes. There was a terrible ringing in his ears like an alarm.

"Renton…" said an eerie version of Eureka's voice. "Renton…"

"Hey, Renton! You're sleeping late again!"

Renton opened his eyes. He was staring at a grey surface, but he didn't know what it was. Then he realized it was the ceiling in his room and that he was lying down.

"C'mon, Renton, Holland's called another meeting!"

Renton looked at the doorway to see Hilda sigh and walk away. He got to his feet and rubbed his eyes. His head felt as though it was full of lead.

_What's going on?_ Renton thought, _I just had a dream? I can't remember it? Was it a dream?_

The vision of two red glowing eyes struck him again. He remembered red eyes before in another dream, but they were different. The eyes in the dream before had some sort of geometric shape and were glowing. They looked like the eyes of an LFO. Renton shuddered. He didn't know if his dreams really meant anything, but then again…

_"…your mind may try to trick you…" _ Gonzy's words replayed in his head.

Renton shook his head and got dressed. Then he headed off to the lounge a.k.a. meeting room to see what Holland wanted.

"What's going on?" asked Renton as he walked next to Mischa on their way to the room.

"I'm not sure," Mischa informed him nervously. "Holland called for an emergency landing then became very stressful."

"Where's Eureka?" Renton asked anxiously.

"She's fine," Mischa said calmly. "I believe she's resting in Holland's room at the moment."

Renton had a troubled feeling, but ignored it. When they entered the room Holland was pacing back and forth uncomfortably. Everyone else took their usual positions on the couch, against the wall, or on the floor and watched him moving one way then the other like a metronome. Holland then paused and turned toward them.

"Now," he said as he cleared his throat, "I feel that we need more help on the ship as far as medical purposes go. I mean, we've had quite a bit of injuries so far."

Holland's words were uneasy and Renton could see it in his eyes.

"What are you talking about?" asked Matthieu.

"I'm just saying that we may need more assistance since we've been facing quite a bit lately. I....I've gotten a medical specialist from the Federation to aid us. His-"

"Hold on!" interrupted Matthieu. "You got a guy from the Federation to help us?"

"Yes," said Holland calmly, "I believe-"

"Since when did you start asking help from the Federation?" interrupted Matthieu again as other crew members began to mumble.

"We _need _him!" Holland stated loudly.

The room fell silent and everyone stared intensely at Holland. The Gekkostate captain sighed and spoke in a calm voice.

"He can help Eureka..." Holland breathed.

Matthieu opened his mouth to say something again, but Holland cut him off.

"Look," he said, "we've been in a lot of crap lately. We can't keep standing on our own. The Federation will lose trust in us. It will help them and us if we have a Federation member onboard. All right?"

There was a long silence then Hilda spoke.

"It's just one guy right?" she asked.

Holland nodded with a solemn look on his face. He then walked into the hall and said something to whoever was waiting in the hall. A middle-aged man walked in with grayish-black hair and small glasses. He held a large silver briefcase and wore a lab coat similar to Mischa.

"Hello, Gekkostate," he greeted politely, "I am Dr. Enson. Yes, I work for the Federation and I intend to help you. I am a skilled medical doctor and scientist with much experience. Don't worry; the Federation does not suspect anything of you. We are merely making sure that you are alright and I can help figure things out. I know you've seen quiet a bit of unpleasant things so far so I hope that I can help you all."

Dr. Enson talked on and on about his experiences in the war and his scientific studies at Tresor. Holland took little interest in all of this. He was still lost in thought about the real reason that he had called upon Enson. It was the night before when Holland had found Eureka. He remembered when he saw her in the briefing room…

"Eureka?" he asked calmly, but worriedly.

She did not respond. He then approached her and put his hand on her shoulder.

"Is something wrong, Eureka?"

There was an eerie feeling in the room like the feeling one gets when they are in a dangerous situation. It made the hair on Holland's neck prickle. Eureka shuddered quietly then her sobbing stopped. She reached out a shaky hand and ran her nails down the table making an irritating noise. Holland wanted to say something, but he was at a loss of words. Eureka reached out the hand she used to scratch the table and gripped it as tight as steel around Holland's arm. Holland flinched as her nails dug into his skin.

"Eureka…" he said painfully.

She made a small soft growling noise and raised her head. Holland felt a shiver run down his spine as he gazed into her face. Her hair was over her face, but her eyes were visible. They were not their usual pinkish color, but red, blood red. It sent a shocking feeling in Holland's skin and his eyes felt as if they were burning as he gazed into the two red blazing balls of crimson. She gritted her teeth which made Holland flinch again and he tried to remove her hand, but could not.

"Eureka!" he called with alarm.

She thrashed at him with her other arm, cutting through his shirt, but only grazed his chest with her fingernails, making small cuts. He grabbed her arm as she thrashed and pulled it forward so that he was able to flip her around. This resulted in excruciating pain as her other arm ripped from its grip on his arm. She wrenched her arms from his grip and flew forward, scrapping her arm on the corner of the table. She became still.

"Are…are you alright?" Holland asked approaching with caution.

He backed away a little as she came to her knees and felt the blood dripping from her arm. She suddenly dropped again and did not move for several minutes.

Holland didn't know what to do. His mind was still taking in what had just happened. He gazed at her limp body, but still had no idea what had just happened. One thing was clear: there was something wrong with Eureka.

"Mr. Novak?" asked Dr. Enson.

Holland was staring at the ground.

"Mr. Novak?" asked Enson again more slowly.

"Oh, um, yes?" answered Holland, coming back to the present.

"I have some work to do," said Dr. Enson, "so I guess I'll be heading off to my quarters."

"Yes, of course," answered Holland.

"And…" said Dr. Enson, "My quarters would be located?"

"Oh, let me show you," Holland said as he left the room with Dr. Enson following.

"I don't know about this," Matthieu said.

"I don't know, he seems like a nice guy to me," Gidget commented.

"Well, I don't really care," Moondoggie yawned indifferently. "what do you think Renton?"

"I'm going to find Eureka," Renton said.

Renton got up and made his way to Holland's room. He heard water running and he went to the bathroom and opened the door.

"Eureka…Sorry!"

He shut the door when he saw that Eureka had been taking a shower. He felt a little warm and sat down on the bed. A few minutes later Eureka came out of the shower and walked into the room.

"Oh, hello, Renton," she said.

Renton looked up then threw his head back down again when he saw that she was naked and holding a towel. Renton's face felt very red. For all the time he had spent with Eureka, he had never seen her naked body before. Plus, her body features had changed over time.

"Is…is something wrong?" she asked calmly.

"No," Renton answered. "Can you put some clothes on?"

Renton resisted the urge to look as Eureka dressed into a T-shirt and jeans then sat onto the bed next to him.

"What are you doing in Holland's room?" asked Renton.

"I don't know exactly," she said. "I couldn't sleep last night so I got up to walk around, but then everything went blank."

"Did…anything weird happen?"

Eureka paused.

"Not that I can remember…"

"So you are okay?"

"Of course."

Renton sighed and put his arm around Eureka.

"I love you, Eureka," he said softly.

"I love you too," Eureka said.

Renton leaned to kiss her, but looked into her eyes. He had a flashback of his dream and turned his head.

"What's wrong?" Eureka asked worriedly.

"It's…nothing," Renton answered. "I was just thinking about…"

There was moment of silence.

"I missed the crew meeting. What was it about?" asked Eureka.

"We have a new doctor on the ship," answered Renton.

"What for?"

"I'm not sure…"

The Gekko-Go soon lifted off and they went on their way to roam around the skies once more. A day past and Renton saw little of Dr. Enson. The man was seen during mealtimes and Renton passed him a few times in the hall. The doctor would always greet him cheerfully as he passed. Most of the crew members seemed at ease with the doctor, but Matthieu still was skeptical.

"You know that the Federation doesn't trust us!" exclaimed Matthieu as he sat in his room with Moondoggie and Renton. "They think we killed all those people!"

"Why would they think that?" asked Moondoggie.

"Um…because we used to be terrorists!" Matthieu answered.

"Not exactly terrorists," Renton said.

"Yeah, and we saved the world remember?" Moondoggie said matter-of-factly, "The Federation has been cool with us ever since."

"Yeah, but they probably think we went rogue again…" said Matthieu suspiciously.

"Whatever," sighed Renton.

Another day passed and Enson began health examinations on all of the crew members. Renton thought Mischa could've probably done the examinations herself, but Enson had some new Federation technology. Mischa seemed fine with it since she didn't have to do much work. Soon Renton's turn for an examination he was called into the medical room.

"Good afternoon, Renton," Dr. Enson said politely.

"Hello," said Renton.

There was something calming about the doctor's voice. It was sort of a disarming tone, a reassuring tone. Renton felt very comfortable in his presence.

Enson did normal examinations such as examining Renton's heartbeat, eyes, ears, mouth, and etc. He talked comfortably with Renton as he did all this.

"It's an honor to be in the presence of _the _famous Renton Thurston," Enson said as he shined a light in Renton's ears. "You're also the son of the great Adrock Thurston."

"Yeah, I almost forgot I was famous," Renton said with a small chuckle.

"I knew your father, Renton, he was a great man."

"You knew him?"

"Yes, I worked under his command at Tresor and we've been through quite a bit together. Actually, we've known each other since high school."

"You have?" Renton asked with quite a bit of surprise.

"I take it your father never talked much about his work or people he knew."

"No…he didn't. He didn't talk to me much at all."

"Yes, your father was a very busy man. He loved his work, but he loved you and your sister very much too."

"I know that. I know that when he died, he died for us."

"Yes, he may not have been the best father, but he was a loving one none the less. He talked about you all the time?"

Renton paused.

"He…he did?"

"Of course! He always kept a picture of your sister and you in his wallet. He would always mention how he missed his son and daughter."

Enson chuckled.

"He was always talking about how his daughter was the smartest girl her age and how she would continue his work," he went on, "and he always talked about how cute his son was."

Renton tried to picture his father at work. He felt a little excited. He had never met anyone so close to his father.

"How did you and my father meet?" asked Renton.

"Well, we met in high school and we stayed best friends for a while. We were the smartest boys in each of our classes, but of course, your father was smarter than me."

Enson chuckled again.

"When I say 'smart' I mean academically," he continued. "Your father and I did some crazy things when we were young."

"Like what?"

"Well, once we road our Ref boards straight through the school halls. We got into a bit of trouble, but not as much as I had expected. I guess we took advantage of the fact that our teachers favored us."

"My father knew how to ref?"

"Oh yes, actually he was quite terrible at it," Enson chuckled again, "I was the ref boarder at the time."

"Are you good?" asked Renton curiously.

"I _was_ one of the best at school. Of course, we both stopped when we got into college and things got more disciplined when we became actual scientists. Your father and I didn't spend as much time together as we used to. We were both very busy men. Though, we did embark on a few 'adventures' together."

Dr. Enson smiled and stared at the wall as if he was recalling a happy memory.

"Well, I believe we are done here," said the doctor.

"Can we talk about my father some more?" asked Renton.

"Yes," Enson said, "but that's going to have to wait until later. I still have examinations to conduct."

"Alright," said Renton preparing to leave the room.

"Oh, I almost forgot!" Enson called to Renton, "Come here once more, there is something I must ask."

"Yes," Renton asked.

"Have you been having any strange dreams lately?" he asked calmly.

Renton paused.

"Yes, I've been having a lot lately," Renton informed him.

"Would you mind describing one to me?" Enson asked.

Renton remember the dream he just had the night before. Now that Enson mentioned it, he could remember it clearly…

Renton was walking in a forest. There was a beautiful night sky overhead. The stars sparkled with a mystic brilliance. The moonlight shined across the endless forest revealing a myriad of trees in every direction. Renton was on a small dirt path in the middle of the forest. He walked on enjoying the beauty of the night sky. It was truly a very beautiful place. It reminded him of the Promised Land. When he reached the end of the path and found a large lake before him.

"Wow," said Renton in awe.

The lake was just as mystical as the sky it reflected. The moonlight shimmered across the surface like a magical spell. It was much like the beauty of the Promised Land. It was a vast body of water, but the other side of the lake was clearly visible. Then he saw her, Eureka was sitting on the opposite end of the lake, alone.

"Eureka!" Renton called worriedly. "Eureka is that you?"

The figure that was Eureka stood. Then a red flash of light omitted from her body and shined across the lake. Renton realized that something was wrong, but it was too late to react. There was a ringing noise in the air and an explosion occurred in the water on the opposite end of the lake where Eureka had been standing. Something zoomed across the surface, splashing water out of its way as it headed dead on toward Renton.

The ringing noise ceased and something hit Renton in the chest causing him to slam painfully into a tree. He found himself pinned to a tree trunk by Eureka or what looked like Eureka. Her eyes were flaming red with death and despair in the atmosphere. It was just like is previous dream. The world around turned a dark red and orange tone. The water looked like blood.

"What…what…" Renton couldn't find the words.

The Eureka in front of him slid him up the tree so that he was off his feet. She kept an iron grip on his chest and brought her right hand back as if preparing to punch Renton. The hand she had stretched back began to glow. What appeared to be red trappar waves circled around her clenched fist. Then she flung her fist forward.

"Eureka! No! I thought you loved me!" he yelled with his eyes screwed shut.

Renton opened his eyes a little. It seemed to happen in slow motion. The fist came towards his face, but at the last minute it turned and hit the part of the tree next to him. There was a boom that sounded like a cannon blast coming from her fist and Renton heard the sound of several trees falling down behind him. Her grip on him loosened and he fell to the ground, breathing heavily. He slowly looked up. The world was back to its original mystic beauty. Eureka was lying on the grass with her hands on her face and shivering with fright.

"Are…are you alright, Eureka?"

Eureka did not respond. Renton slowly approached her and wrapped his arms around her.

"Eureka…" Renton said softly, but still shocked from the whole situation.

"Renton…I…I don't know what's wrong with me…"

"I'm confused too, Eureka."

"I'm afraid…"

"Eureka…It's okay, we'll make it through this."

Eureka slowly stood and looked at the surface of the water. She seemed mesmerized by her reflection or just lost in thought.

"I get this feeling in my skin," Eureka said solemnly, "it's like a wound that won't heal. It's a pain inside me that won't go away. All this fear causes the pain to flow in…and I cannot tell what is real…"

"Eureka…" Renton stood next to Eureka and looked at her blank face.

"It's just like something inside me…" Eureka put her head down. "It's pulling me beneath the surface…" Eureka looked down at her hands. "It's consuming…and confusing…"

"Eureka, I'm here for you."

"I know…yet it seems like there's nothing you can do…I can't control myself and I don't think it will ever end…"

"Don't say that!"

Eureka looked back at her reflection as if she was looking at someone she did not recognize.

"I look at my own reflection and it seems to haunt me…I can't seem to find myself and the world around me is closing in. I feel so…so insecure."

Renton opened his mouth to say something, but Eureka began to walk away. He followed her as she walked through the woods. As she walked, she put her hand against each tree she past the way a blind person feels their surroundings to find their way.

"Everything is so distracting…" she said, "and I'm so afraid to react. I'm afraid of what I might do."

"Eureka, I've said it a million times and I'll say it again. 'I'll always be here for you'."

"No you won't, Renton…"

"What?"

"You can't always be there for me…I don't want to hurt you…"

Before Renton could say another word, there was a flash of light from behind Eureka and everything was gone. That's when Renton woke up.

"That's quite an interesting dream," Enson commented when Renton was done recollecting.

"What does it mean?" asked Renton curiously.

"I'm not exactly sure," Enson said. "Maybe you should take a rest or check on the children."

Renton paused before he walked out the door.

"We can talk about your father another time," Enson said. "I have to conduct a few more medical examinations."

Enson sighed when Renton walked out of the door.

"Mwammmm," Charles moaned as Talho put the spoon of baby food in his mouth.

"He reminds me of when Linck was an infant," Eureka said as she stared curiously at Baby Charles.

"Yes, it's tough being a mom," Talho said.

Eureka was standing in the kitchen with Talho, helping feed the baby.

"He's just like his father," Talho said "he wakes up in the middle of the night, gets very grumpy in the mornings, and even eats like him."

Eureka giggled as Charles spat out his food.

"Heeeey, Eureeeeekaaaa!" called Gidget from the doorway.

"Yes?" asked.

"The new doc wants to see you," Gidget answered.

"Oh alright," Eureka said.

"When you get back you can help me with some more chores," Talho suggested.

"Alright," Eureka said.

She brushed Charles' hair with her fingers then headed off to the medical room.

"Good afternoon, Eureka," said Mischa as she walked down the hall next to her. "Heading off to meet Dr. Enson?"

"Yes," answered Eureka. "I haven't actually met this new doctor. What is he like?"

"He's…sufficient. You don't have to worry," Mischa reassured. "You will be alright."

They entered the medical room to find Dr. Enson typing something into a portable computer. He immediately ceased his work to greet them.

"Ahh, hello Dr. Mischa and salutations to you, Eureka," he said politely. "I've been looking forward to meeting you."

"Well, you can start your exam," Mischa said. "I'm just here to get some medicine for Jobs, he hasn't been feeling well lately."

"Alright then," Enson said with a smile.

Eureka sat down and Enson began checking her heartbeat.

"I still have a feeling that I've seen you before," said Mischa.

"I do not recall," Dr. Enson said.

"Are you sure, I do believe I remember you in the department that studied Eureka."

"Yes, I did…" Enson answered solemnly, "I did some work with Eureka. Though I do not believe you, Eureka, would remember because you were too young."

Mischa squinted.

"You worked under Hyde didn't you?" she asked curiously.

Enson paused and sighed.

"I do not wish to here that name," Enson said as if the man she spoke of was some mortal enemy.

"Well, carry on then," Mischa said quietly as she left the room.

Eureka thought it would be rude to ask anything about it. After all, it was none of her business.

"Well, how are you feeling, Eureka?" Dr. Enson asked with a more cheerful voice.

"I'm doing well," Eureka said.

"If there is anything that causes you discomfort, please tell me. Anything like feelings of anxiety, trouble sleeping, anything on your mind lately?"

"Well," Eureka started, "I…I have these bad dreams…"

"You've been having nightmares? Do you remember them enough to describe them?"

"I…In my dreams, I'm drowning…or trapped…and…and Renton won't help me…he just walks away."

"Hmmm…a lot of people have been having some strange dreams lately."

"Why do I dream of this?"

"Well, our dreams are usually about what is on our minds, but…it is also believed that the Scub Coral can enter you mind."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, trappar is believed to be the thoughts of the Scub Coral, trappar is in the air, we breathe the air, we breathe in trappar, and the essence of the Coral enters us. Of course, you of all people have a connection to the Scub coral and Renton also. Maybe the Scub is trying to tell you something."

"So Renton is going to betray me?"

"No, no, Eureka," Enson said comfortingly, "maybe the Scub is trying to tell you something else…something deeper."

"It doesn't seem that way."

Enson paused.

"Well, maybe the Scub is trying to trick you…"

"Why would the Scub try to trick me?"

"Because…I'm not sure, Eureka. I'm just considering possibilities. It's only a conjecture."

"But…isn't the Scub destroyed?"

Enson paused again.

"That's what she wanted you to think…" he mumbled.

"Who?" Eureka asked.

"What? Oh, um. Maybe the Scub is still alive somewhere, or at least part of it. I mean, we still have trappar. Don't we?"

"Yes…"

"What was the Promised Land like?" Enson asked curiously, changing the subject.

"It was nice," Eureka answered.

"Such a large place," Enson added. "However did you get around?"

Eureka stared at the ceiling, reminiscing.

"Well, my wings allowed me to use trappar waves to fly around the area with Renton," she said with a small grin on her face.

"That must've really been brilliant," Enson said with a smile. "You were there for a year."

"Yes, but it didn't seem like a year. It only seemed like a month or so."

"I just need to take a blood sample," Enson said as he picked up a syringe. "It may sting a little…Well, there is an idea about a space-time continuum connection to the Promised Land, but the theory is complicated."

"What do you mean?"

"To keep it simple, it is theorized that the Promised Land is possibly another world. It is believed that it is not just another part of Earth, but another dimension in which the Scub Coral's thoughts realm. You see, three thousand years ago, the scub coral completely consumed the surface of Earth. We believe when humans returned, the Scub started to recreate the surface it had destroyed. It is theorized that time passes differently than here on the surface."

"Oh…"

"Yes, it is an odd concept, but there is more to it."

Enson paused and scratched the back of his neck.

"Well, Eureka," he said calmly, "there is a special test that I am ordered to run."

"On me?"

"Yes," he said. "It's not that we believe anything is wrong with you, but we just want to make sure."

Eureka nodded. Enson went over to his briefcase. He put in some sort of password and then opened it. Enson pulled out a shiny white cylinder device. He pressed a few buttons on it then walked to where Eureka sat.

"Alright, I'll need you to look right here," Dr. Ensons said, pointing to a part of the device that appeared to omit light.

"What is that?" Eureka asked.

"It's an invention of mine," the doctor answered. "It transmits a signal to the brain…If there is anything wrong it should cause something to occur."

"Like what?"

"Well, it varies with the subject. Hold still."

Eureka held still with her eyes wide open, staring at the device. There was ringing noise and then a flash of red light omitted from the device. Something strange began to happen.

The world around Eureka began to swirl and jerk violently until it vanished into a mass of red. It was like she was being sucked away into a blood red abyss. Several visions flashed before Eureka's eyes. She saw a small glowing triangular device, a large black crystal-like pillar with several spikes jutting out of it, a massive black LFO with glowing red eyes, and thousands of dead bodies lying across the ground. More images came of exploding ships, crashing LFOs and more carnage. Suddenly, it all went back to normal and Eureka found herself back in the medical room, breathing heavily. The only difference was that she was standing up grabbing Dr. Enson's by the collar with one hand and had her other hand clenched in a fist.

"I see…" Enson said with a little bit of surprise.

"I…I…" Eureka was speechless as she released the doctor. "Wh-what…"

Enson exhaled and fixed his coat.

"It appears the neuralizer had quite an affect on you…"

Eureka still had a heavy breathe. She couldn't understand what had just happened.

"What…did I…Is there…"

"We can't be sure that anything is wrong," Enson said in his usual calm tone as if nothing had happened. "Why don't you get some rest, Eureka?"

Eureka nodded and walked out of the medical room. She could hear Dr. Enson sigh again as she left the room. Eureka felt a slight dizziness that caused her to sway back and forth as she walked. She finally found her room and fell asleep on the bed.

"One down! Four to go!" Seizo said as one of the Black Mon-Soonos crashed to the ground.

"Who are these guys?" Naomi asked.

She fired several machinegun rounds at a jet black Terminus type909 and dodged the 909's return fire.

"Damn it!" Dominic cursed as another black Mon-Soono fired a laser blast right in front of him, barely missing. "I got this one!"

Dominic fired several rounds into the cockpit of the Mon-Soono. The black LFO flipped violently and crashed to the ground.

"That's two down!" Dominic announced.

"These guys are tough!" Seizo added.

Seizo was busy dodging fire from another black Mon-Soono and a black LFO of an unknown type. The black cargo skiff that the LFOs had apparently been guarding still glided smoothly through the air.

"I can't get this one off of me!" Naomi complained.

The black 909 fired a laser canon blast at Naomi and she did a barrel roll to evade it. She began zigzagging, but the 909 fired several more cannon blasts, one of them scrapping the side of Naomi's MC-505.

"I'm hit!" Naomi cried.

Dominic fired several more rounds at the 909, but it dodged all the fire then spun around and fired a cannon blast at Dominic. Dominic shifter to the left and the laser missed him by a foot. Dominic then fired two missiles at the 909, but the LFO back flipped, dodging one missile and shooting the other with its cannon. Dominic then equipped his boomerang blades and flung both of them at the LFO. The 909 attempted a cut-back drop-turn, but the blades severed the 909's legs while it was upside down and the LFO plummeted to the ground with its board and legs following.

"That takes care of him," Dominic said as he caught the boomerang blades.

"Somebody take down that Mon-Soono, he's hit," Seizo announced.

"I got him," Naomi said.

Naomi fired a missile at the black Mon-Soono which had its arm severed by Seizo. The missile hit the Mon-Soono head on and blew the LFO into pieces.

"One left!" Dominic announced.

The cargo skiff still glided through the air, apparently not worried about being hit. The last black LFO flew over the skiff. Dominic did not recognize its model. It had a spherical head with four eyes. It had a skinny body and four arms. It was unlike any LFO Dominic had seen before.

"What the hell is that?" Seizo asked.

The LFO held a small machinegun in each hand and fired at the three 505s. They were able to dodge its fire with only a few minor hits.

"Open fire!" Dominic ordered.

They went all out with their machineguns and missiles, but the LFO did several tornado spins, dodging all fire.

"What the hell?" Seizo said.

"Look out!" warned Naomi.

The LFO fired its machineguns while doing a tornado spin, firing shots around it in a circle. Dominic flung his boomerang blades at the spinning LFO. Both blades landed a hit and the LFO fell apart into three pieces. The black cargo skiff boosted and flew farther ahead.

"After it!" Order Dominic.

Dominic flew in front of the skiff with Seizo and Naomi on its sides. Dominic attempted to send a transmission to the skiff.

"You are deemed a hazardous threat to the U.F. My comrades and I will escort you to the base where you will be arrested. Any attempts of resistance, and you will be fired upon. Do you comply?"

Dominic waited a minute, but there was no answer. Suddenly a compartment opened at the top of the ship and a turret appeared. The turret fired several rounds which Dominic easily dodged.

"Take it down!" Dominic ordered.

Seizo and Naomi fired shots at the Skiff's wings and caused it to slowly descend. The Skiff hit the ground hard and slid across the earth, but eventually came to a halt. The team landed their 505s in front of the crashed skiff. They waited to see if anyone would show themselves.

"What's that noise?" Naomi asked.

There was a high pitch ringing noise then a large explosion came from the crashed ship, pushing the 505s back. The team was still on its feet, but they could not see what had happened. When the smoke cleared they saw that the skiff had been blow apart.

"I think that was some kind of self-destruction," Dominic said.

"Looks like someone doesn't want us to know who they are or what their objective was," Seizo added with frustration.

"Look!" said Naomi.

What was left of the wreckage slowly began to fade away by its edges.

"It looks like it's melting…" Dominic said.

"They _really_ don't want us knowing their secrets," Seizo said.

Half an hour later the third SOF squad was sitting in a conference room at the base for debriefing. General Takeda, head of the Tarsian Military Base, walked into the room with five other officers and sat down at the oval table.

"Alright," General Takeda started. "Captain Sorel, would you mind telling us how this all started?"

"Yes, Sir," said Dominic. "It had all started when my fellow team members and I commenced a training run for our updated MC-505s. We began training at one of the testing areas and a report was given to us that a mysterious group of aircraft was flying extremely close to that area. We were ordered to investigate. We found the group of black aircraft which consisted of five LFOs and a skiff. It appeared they were delivering something and apparently they did not want the government to have its hands on it. We tried to communicate with them, but we were immediately engaged in combat. We took down the LFOs and the skiff was not cooperative so we shot it down. Shortly after the skiff crashed, it exploded due to what seemed to be a self-destruct mechanism. All the remnants disintegrated quickly afterwards."

"We are still running an investigation at the crash site and we have detected a small amount of radiation which may have caused the disintegration," informed General Takeda. "We found areas where we believe the LFOs crashed, but apparently they too have disintegrated. Do you recall what model of LFOs you were engaged with?"

"Yes," said Dominic, "three were U.F. standard Mon-Soono models, one appeared to be a Terminus type909, and the last was of an unknown model. It was a model with four arms, something I've never seen before."

"Interesting," General Takeda commented as he scratched his chin. "I believe it is safe to assume that these LFOs belonged to the same enemy that commenced the attack on this base recently, but it cannot be confirmed just yet. Though, if this is true, then this threat we face has access to our military's LFO models as well as new LFO technology. The self-destruction of their LFOs and ships indicates that they do not want us to know who they are or what their motives are."

"But this team of LFOs did not seem very smart," Seizo said. "If they were delivering something important why would they fly dangerously close to military grounds?"

"Maybe that was their motive," suggested Dominic. "Maybe they wanted to be engaged and shot down."

"Are you suggesting that these LFOs were on a suicide mission?" asked Takeda.

"Yes," Dominic. "Perhaps it was a diversion or maybe the skiff contained some sort of biological weapon such as a virus which would be released when it was destroyed."

"We had that in mind," Takeda said. "The area was scanned and nothing was detected except a small level of radiation at the crash sites. We are also running a security sweep to make sure nobody or nothing was slipped into the base. We cannot be sure that these LFOs were really part of our current threat. We aren't even sure they were planning an attack. They could've just been a band of careless criminals."

"I disagree," said another general sitting next to Takeda. "I do not believe that a simple band of criminals would have such LFOs and that they would have the technology and motive to disintegrate their aircraft. It is apparent that this was another attempted attack on this military base. Can you not see it? We are on the verge of war."

"We cannot make that assumption, General Ulysses," Takeda said. "We are not concluding that these attacks are acts of war."

"With all due respect, General," said Ulysses, "is it not obvious that we have a new enemy to face? This is not some ruthless band of terrorist. We are dealing with something much more sophisticated. This enemy has new technology and it is apparent that they are out to destroy ours. I suggest we move all of the new weapons and LFOs to a different location as soon as possible. Our technology may not be safe here."

_So this is the famous General Conrad Ulysses,_ thought Dominic. He gazed at the general. He was a middle-aged man with short grayish black hair, an unshaven chin, grey eyes, and the strong face of a soldier. When one first glanced at him in his general apparel it was obvious that he was an experienced military leader. 

"We are not ready to take such measures," Takeda said vigorously. "The weapons stay here as ordered."

"With all due respect," Ulysses said, "I _do _have the authority to move the weapons to a different location and I will. Dr. Danik Enson, head of the science department and one of the creators of our new technology, would agree with my decision."

"I am aware of your authority and the position of Dr. Enson," stated Takeda with a frustrated voice, "but how do we know that this isn't exactly what the enemy wants? They could be waiting for us to start moving our equipment and strike it while it's on the move."

"Yes, I have been considering that," Ulysses said. "We will move everything with max protection in broad daylight. There will be four convoys each taking a different route to Silicis Base simultaneously."

"I do not agree with this plan," Takeda said.

"With all due respect, you don't _have _to agree with it, Sir," Ulysses said coldly.

_General Ulysses is not someone who takes "No" for an answer,_ thought Dominic. Before Ulysses could say another word, a man walked into the conference room.

"Excuse me for interrupting," said the man, "but we've found something at the crash site. We think you should have a look at it."

"We're not sure what is inside it, but we believe this is what the skiff was delivering," said a scientist.

Dominic now stood in one of the research labs looking down through a large glass window at a room below shortly after they had been dismissed from a fiery debriefing. The room below had a few tables and tools inside. In the center of the room was a large glass containment case in which a small black rectangular box sat. Men wearing white coats and gasmasks worked carefully inside the room. A scanner ran back and forth over the glass container. The black box was the item that was discovered in the wreckage.

"The box is apparently made of a material immune to the disintegrating radiation," continued the scientist. "It's a material we have never seen before. There is what appears to be a lock on the front of the box, but we don't know how an individual is to open it."

"How long will you examine it?" Ulysses asked.

"It may take a day," answered the scientist. "We will analyze the material it is made of and we are going to attempt to scan the inside of the box as best we can."

"I was hoping I'd be able to see what's inside," said Ulysses with disappointment. "I guess I'll have to find out later. My men and I will be transporting most of the new equipment to a different base at twenty-one hundred hours."

Ulysses then turned to Dominic.

"Captain Sorel," he said. "Would you mind joining me on the trip to Silicis Base?"

"Of course, Sir," answered Dominic, "but…may I ask why you wish for me to join you?"

"I need to talk to you and I won't have any other time on my hands," answered Ulysses. "Plus, you look like you need a break."

"Yes, Sir," said Dominic.

A few hours later Dominic found himself standing next to General Ulysses at the bridge of an airship heading to Silicis Base. The ship had just lifted off.

"I've never taken the time to properly introduce myself," said Ulysses. "I am General Conrad Ulysses."

"Captain Dominic Sorel," said Dominic.

"Captain Sorel, after all the trouble you've gone through I believe you deserve to know a bit about what's going on," answered Ulysses.

"With all due respect, are you sure, General?" asked Dominic. "Isn't it classified information?"

"I respect your asking," Ulysses said with a smile. "But you seem like a good man and I feel someone else needs to know this information. You see…Dr. Enson and I may be targeted by the enemy. I need someone of lower rank to hold this information, someone anonymous."

"Yes, Sir," said Dominic.

Ulysses paused.

"Captain Sorel, I believe you've had several encounters with a spy wearing a black gasmask. Am I right?" asked General Ulysses.

"Affirmative," answered Dominic.

"The man with the gasmask," started Ulysses. "His name is Rothstock Steller. He's one of the organization's top assassins."

"How do you know of this organization?" asked Dominic.

"Dr. Enson was once one of the organization's head scientists. The organization's founder is a former colleague of mine…This organization is-"

Suddenly, the ship rumbled and some of the computer screens flickered.

"What was that?" asked Ulysses asked.

"Sir, there was a massive explosion at the Tarsian Base!" reported one of the crew members.

"What?" said Ulysses with alarm.

Ulysses and Dominic rushed to a computer screen which showed the view of a camera placed at the rear of the ship. The man at the computer rewound a video recording. The base looked completely fine, but then there was a rumbling and a giant dome of white light burst over about half of the base. The light disappeared and a gigantic black crater was what was left of the base.

"What the hell?" said Ulysses.

"I…we…the base…" Dominic couldn't find the right words. "Do you think that box…?"

"It was a damn bomb," Ulysses said. "I should've known! Enson told me about something like this. The enemy…they have a type of bomb that can destroy an entire city. It's made of some type of material from the Coral. They can make the bomb so small that it'll fit in a shoebox. Damnit! I should've known!"

He slammed his fist onto the table in front of him.

"Do you think someone detonated it?" asked Dominic.

"No…" answered Ulysses. "It must've been a timer. If it was a detonation, they would've activated it while we were still at the base…Enson said there would be an attack…I knew that once those black LFOs appeared something was bound to happen…but I didn't presume that it would be this bad…I guess we were lucky…They're after our new technology…and possibly Enson and myself."

Dominic had a few suspicious. The bomb had exploded just shortly after they had left. He wondered if Ulysses was somehow involved in it, but the fury in Ulysses' eyes told otherwise. The general's pupils moved back in forth rapidly expressing confusion.

"That bastard…" said Ulysses as he clenched his fists. "We have to act fast. At least we were able to save the new technology, but at the cost of human lives…They would not have died in vain…I will make sure of that. So, Arner…you want a war? Well, you've got one…"

General Ulysses walked furiously out of the bridge. Dominic quickly followed him.

"Wait! What are we going to do?" asked Dominic. "Who's Arner?"

"We'll talk later, Captain," Ulysses said. "There's something I need to attend to."

Dominic was left confused and still shocked. He didn't think it would get this bad. Thoughts started to race through his mind.

_Are we really on the verge of war?_ He thought, _What about General Takeda? What about Seizo and Naomi. How many people died? Was Dr. Enson Killed? What happens now? Should I really know what's going on? Is it really safe for me to know all of this? Should I really get involved? Still so many questions…still so little answers._

"Would you now like to tell me what is wrong?" Elsa asked as she and Roth sat on the balcony at her quarters.

"This feeling…inside me," Roth said as he looked at his robotic hand. "I still feel a need for revenge."

"Now Roth," Elsa said. "We already talked about this."

"I know, but this revenge…it's inside of me. It's just part of me…The look on Holland's face when I shot him in the simulation…The feeling I had…it felt so good."

"I don't even know why they put him in that simulation," Elsa said.

"Roth, revenge will solve nothing."

"I find no other use for existence in this world…"

They were both silent.

"How are you doing with that hacker problem," Roth asked, changing the subject.

"Which problem?" Elsa asked.

"A while ago you mentioned that the computer interface had been hacked. It is possible that there is a traitor or spy within the corporation. It's happened before. If this-"

"I believe it was just a glitch," Elsa interrupted. "I don't believe we should be so cautious at the moment."

"You sound too sure," Roth said.

"It is only a menial problem. You needn't worry Roth. Let me handle it."

They were silent again.

"I have some work to do so if you will excuse me; we can talk again later," Elsa said.

She stood up and left the room. Steller was left alone to ponder in silence.

"What am I going to do with myself?" Steller asked quietly.

"I want some candy!" Maeter yelled.

"Yeah! Me too!" said Linck.

"Nope," said Renton. "Remember what Hilda said. No snacks after seven o'clock."

"Oh c'mon!" complained Maeter. "That's not fair!"

"Hey, I don't make the rules," Renton said.

"I don't care about the rules!" Linck stated.

"Can't you just give us some candy?" asked Maeter angrily.

"Can't do that," Renton said as he stood in front of the entrance to the kitchen.

"Why not?" Linck and Maeter asked.

"Because I'm your papa!" said Renton with a didn't-you-know-that tone.

"We want candy! We want candy!" chanted the two youngsters.

"Will you just stop?" Maurice yelled. "All of you!"

Renton, Maeter, and Linck fell silent and stared at Maurice. Renton looked surprised.

"You're all acting stupid," Maurice added.

"Hey, don't talk like!" Renton said. "Especially don't talk to _me _like that."

"Why?" asked Maurice coldly.

"Because I'm your-"

"You're my 'papa'?" interrupted Maurice. "Go ahead and call yourself 'papa', but you're no papa! What about Mama? You know something is wrong! Everyone knows something is wrong! Something's wrong and you pretend like everything is okay! You keep saying it's going to be alright, but it's not! You're not always there to protect Mama and bad things happen to her! You're no papa to me!"

Renton stared in bewilderment. He looked like he wanted to say more, but nothing came from Renton's mouth. Maurice breathed heavily and looked away. He walked slowly away out of the room. He wanted to see mama. He wanted to make sure she was okay.

Maurice found Mama's room and entered slowly. He saw her asleep on the bed. He quietly walked up to her and stood in front of the bed. She looked so peaceful. He wanted to talk to her, to make sure everything was alright, but he didn't want to disturb her. Mama began mumbling.

"Ren…ton…" she said.

Maurice frowned. That's all she seemed to care about. Renton. Maurice felt like he was of little importance. He wanted to be part of everything. Maurice put his hand on the bed.

"Maurice? What are you doing here?" asked Hilda from the doorway.

"I just wanted to talk to Mama…" answered Maurice.

"Well, let her sleep," Hilda said. "You can talk to her when she wakes. Come, I have a few things you can help me with."

Maurice walked out of the room with one last glance at Mama. He knew just by looking at her that everything wasn't alright like it used to be.

"Status?" asked Arner as he walked back and forth in his office.

"The Lura bomb was taken into Tarsian Military Base," Dr. Hyde reported. "It went as planned in the beginning; The delivery squad went in and was taken down, the box was found, and then they brought it into the facility. Some problems were faced. Agent Ryu couldn't detonate the bomb. It took him a while to fix the problem, but by the time it was fixed, it was too late."

"What do you mean 'too late'?" asked Arner anxiously.

"General Ulysses ordered their new equipment to the Silicis Base," informed Hyde.

"Are they still on the move?" asked Arner.

"Yes, Agent Ryu is taking care of it now, Sir."

"Good."

"Also, Dr. Danik Enson was not present at the base when the bomb went off. Ryu reported that Enson went on some special assignment, but he was unable to access the details."

"Interesting…what else do you have to report?"

"There's one more thing, Sir."

Hyde paused.

"What is it?" asked Arner.

Hyde smiled.

"We've finally found our hacker…"

"Hey, Cap'n! What's up?" asked Ben as he passed Steller in the hallway.

"Nothing much," said Roth.

"You wanna grab a drink?" Ben asked.

"I can not consume beverages," Roth said.

"Oh yeah…" Ben sighed. "Well, Hiro and I will be down at the bar if ya need us!"

Roth nodded and kept walking. He still had Eka on his mind. Visions of her still haunted him. Every time he thought of her he felt a sudden anger and sorrow. He just wished he could have her back. His friend Elsa reminded him of Eka. She was beautiful, smart, and kind. Elsa wanted Roth to let go of his revenge, but her image made him think of Eka more than ever and whenever thoughts of Eka came, thoughts of revenge followed. He still loved Eka and he just couldn't bear to have Eka's killer roam the Earth.

Roth walked without paying any attention to where he was walking. He was lost in thoughts of Eka. He came back to reality when he bumped into someone. Robert Frost who had also been walking in a daze walked straight into Roth and dropped his briefcase, spilling its contents across the floor.

"Sorry," Roth said as he helped pick up the contents.

"It's my fault," Frost said.

Roth picked up a thin rectangular silver box that was on the floor.

"What's this?" asked Roth.

"Oh, that's um…one of those computer portable hard drives," Frost said.

Through the glass of his gasmask, Steller could see the Frost was a bit nervous. He used his scanner to detect Frost's heartbeat. It was beating quite fast. Roth had always had suspicious about Robert Frost. It made him wonder what made him so nervous. Frost eyed the silver box as if whatever was on the hard drive was something Roth shouldn't have hold of. Then again, Robert was always nervous around Roth so he wasn't sure that it was just the hard drive.

"Can…can I have it back now?" asked Frost.

"Of course," Roth said quietly, handing over the box.

"Good day," Frost said as he put the drive back into his briefcase and walked briskly away.

"Steller, your needed in Arner's office immediately," said Hyde's voice from the microphone in Roth's helmet.

"I'm on my way," Roth said.

Roth entered Arner's office to find Arner in his usual position at his shiny wooden desk.

"You called me, Sir?" asked Roth.

"Yes," answered Arner. "I have a job for you. You see, we have a spy amongst us, possible more than one. Someone has been hacking into our computer database and stealing information. It is impossible for anything to be sent from this base undetected so we believe the hacker has downloaded the info onto a portable device."

_Robert Frost,_ Roth thought.

"The spy is one of our scientists," Arner continued. "Her name is Elsa Schneider and I need you to kill her."

Roth couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"Are you sure _she _is the hacker?" asked Roth.

"Yes," Arner said. "You see, she's been able to find the password to most of our computers. She's stolen a lot of valuable information. We've been trying to track who was logging onto the computer at the time that the info was taken, but Schneider apparently deleted her history on the computer. All deleted material goes to a backup system which she was given access to because she wanted to help with the investigation. She was one of our trusted scientists, but apparently she's been stealing info ever since she arrived at the corporation. Schneider's been observing our progress this entire time, possibly sabotaging our experiments. She thought she had removed the material from the backup system, but one of our operatives running the investigation had copied the info before it was deleted. We tracked everything to her. She needs to be taken care of."

"But, Sir," suggested Roth. "Wouldn't it be wise to interrogate her first?"

"No, we already know who she is. An operative ran an investigation on military computers and we've found a match. Her real name is Evangeline Moore. She's a government special agent. We have a whole file about her mission from the government computer. We have no idea what her backup plan is. It's best that we get rid of her before she realizes we know all this. She must die. Can you take care of her for me?"

"Yes, Sir," Roth said solemnly.

To be continued…

There is also an E8 manga available.

Questions? Comments? Please contact me for anything of the sort.


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